One Abbey insider points out that Mr Harley would have got rid of Mr Jones far sooner than he did if he had been able to win the backing of the bank's non-executive directors.
Blame, though, lies mostly with Ian Harley, the former chief executive, who failed to keep tabs on what Gareth Jones was getting up to in the wholesale bank.
Earlier in the day, Jones, a New Orleans native, represented the Ravens when the club donated a pair of Harley Davidson motorcycles to the New Orleans Police Department as an expression of gratitude for the security protection the club received during Super Bowl week.