A number of preliminary hearings in the case were previously aborted when Flowers cited health problems, and in November 2023 another crown court judge issued a similar warrant when Flowers did not appear as scheduled.
The Financial Conduct Authority concluded he used his work mobile telephone to make a number of inappropriate telephone calls to a premium-rate chat line and he used his work email account to send and receive sexually explicit and otherwise inappropriate messages, and to discuss illegal drugs.
A judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of disgraced former Co-operative Bank chairman Paul Flowers after he failed to appear at court for his fraud sentencing.
On Friday, Manchester Crown Court heard that Flowers had “disengaged” with his legal team, although a solicitor had contacted him on Thursday night to explain the consequences of not attending court.
Flowers, from Salford, was dubbed the “Crystal Methodist” after the Mail on Sunday published secretly filmed footage of the then-church minister handing over £300 in cash for crystal meth and other drugs in Leeds in November 2013.
