Blackmailer Jailed For Sex Pics Threats

A blackmailer, who threatened to stick sexually-explicit images of an internet one-night-stand on local lamp posts and her work colleagues' cars if she didn't pay him £1,000 has been jailed for eighteen months.

Chef Craig Farquhar, 28, told the Tesco's manageress he would have 20,000 copies of intimate pictures she sent him produced and distributed - leaving the young mum "extremely frightened."

Farquhar, of Brighton Road, Purley pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to making an unwarranted demanded for money, with menaces, between April 25 and 30.

Prosecutor Miss Alexandra Boshell told the court Farquhar, who has a three-month old son with his current partner of four years, chatted with the victim on a dating web-site three years ago and they met once for sex.

"It would seem during their brief affair she sent pictures to the defendant's phone of her breasts and vagina.

"He started making demands for money, threatening he would show the pictures and plaster them on every lamp post on her road and every car at her workplace.

"He said he had a friend who owned a printing shop and could have twenty-thousand copies at the end of the day and if she told her current boyfriend he would make sure she went missing.

"She describes herself as being extremely frightened by the messages and was not able to sleep and lost her appetite."

The victim reported Farquhar to police and when arrested he admitted having an "on-off affair" with the woman.

"He said he had no intention of claiming the money and wanted her to leave him alone," explained Miss Boshell. "When told off the effect it had on the complainant he did show some remorse."

Farquhar's lawyer Mr. Derek Barry told the court: "It has had a deep impact on the victim and can be described as wicked and malicious.

"There was no loss to the victim and her face was not on any of the images and the defendant was self-consumed by excess alcohol intake and could be described as stupid."

Recorder Alastair Hammerton rejected the probation service's recommendation of a suspended prison sentence and told Farquhar: "This message caused your victim extreme anxiety and you accepted that you wanted to frighten her in order to leave you alone.

"This was a relatively unsophisticated blackmail, but it was pre-planned and there was a financial motive.

"The courts regard blackmail as a particularly repugnant offence because of the mental anguish caused to the victim."

Angry Farquhar violently kicked the door to the secure dock shouting: "I've got a three-month old son," before he was taken to the cells.