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| Fling: Lisa Murphy |
A
stripper and her fellow exotic dancer pal, who blackmailed former
England rugby star Danny Cipriani for £15,000 after he got her
pregnant, was spared jail today.
Lisa
Murphy, 39, aborted Cipriani’s unborn child after their fling and
then bombarded him with messages with the help of her friend Violet
Smith, 29.
Murphy, of Montgomery Way, Wootton, Northampton and mum-of-three Smith, of Bath Road, Slough, both admitted blackmailing the 29-year-old Wasps fly-half between September and October in 2015.
Murphy contacted tabloid The Sun on Sunday to sell the kiss-and-tell story and demanded £15,000 from the rugby star's publicist.
She asked Cipriani to cover her £1,000 a week wages for five weeks after she suffered complications following the abortion.
She wanted compensation for loss of earnings at strip-club Junction Nine in St. Alban's, Hertfordshire.
Both woman received twenty-two months imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Judge
Peter Lodder QC told Murphy at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court:
“Danny Cipriani repeatedly offered to help, but nothing was
forthcoming.
“He
said he would pay for the abortion.
“Danny
Cipriani did not act according to his early promises.
“Whether
this was his own choice or in accordance with advice from a PR agency
or something else is not for me to judge.
“He
certainly does not appear to have fully appreciated the extent of
your difficulties.”
The
court heard the pair had a brief fling and neither sought a
“committed relationship.”
Judge
Lodder added: “I’m satisfied by that time Lisa Murphy was feeling
increasingly desperate and continued to suffer from the emotional
consequences of her condition.
“I’m
satisfied that Violet Smith was motivated by concern for your well
being.
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| Phone Calls: Violet Smith |
“It
is against that background the threat to go to the newspapers was
made.
“This
is a very unusual case, both of you have suffered, you now have a
criminal conviction, and each of you have lost your jobs.
“It
is an understatement to say nobody comes out of this episode very
well.”
Wendy
Hewitt, prosecuting, said Murphy told Cipriani on WhatsApp he was the
father and he replied: “Hey baby that’s a shock to me too.”
Miss
Hewitt said: “She said he did not have to worry and she wanted him
to know she was not going to keep the baby.
“It
is Mr. Cipriani who first brings up the subject of money and asks how
much it would cost on the basis he would pay for it all.
“Ms
Murphy tells him as far she understands it’s all free and on the
National Health Service.”
Smith,
who also worked at the strip bar, texted Cipriani demanding money on
her pal’s behalf and began negotiating with the star’s publicist.
He
refused to pay and then went to police after finding out the women
tried to sell their story.
The
story was not published and the pair did not receive any money.
Hannah
Duncan, for Murphy, said she had been prescribed anti-depressants
after the abortion, and had been “reluctant to ask for the money”.
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| Rugby Star: Danny Cipriani |
She
said: “She had no idea that what she was doing towards the end of
this case was illegal.
“She
was increasingly frustrated, increasingly desperate, and increasingly
upset.
“After
she had the abortion his interest fell off a cliff.”
Ms
Duncan added that Murphy had struggled with depression, and wasn’t
“a shameless cold and calculating schemer, as some have portrayed
her”.
Nigel
Mitchell, defending Smith, told the court she too did not realise
what she was doing was illegal, and just wanted to help her friend.
He
said: “She has never met Mr. Cipriani.
“She
had heard that her friend was pregnant by him, he had offered to pay
towards the abortion which she accepted.
“She
was told by Ms Murphy that she had not received any.
“Her
intention throughout was to support her friend, there was nothing in
this for her to gain.”
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