Mystery celebrity spends £25,000 on legal costs after unknown blackmailer claims to have information about a ‘very serious’ criminal offence
Written by News on 19/01/2018
An unnamed celebrity has spent £25,000 on legal costs after receiving a mystery blackmail attempt.
The celebrity, who has been identified only as LJY, was sent a letter from someone who claimed to be a “highly discreet organisation”.
The letter writer claimed to have a client who had information that LJY had committed a “very serious” criminal offence.
The “organisation” said the offence led its client to lose out and, as a result, LJY was required to pay “financial recompense” or there would be consequences.
The letter suggested that if the celebrity did not pay, the client’s story would be “convincing” to the authorities or the media.
The “organisation” demanded £50,000 to compensate the “client” for lost “financial opportunities”.
The details of the case came out in a hearing at the High Court in London, presided over by Mr Justice Nicklin.
LJY, after receiving the letter, ran up bills of £25,000 taking legal action to protect himself.
He was described in court as a well-known figure in the entertainment business.
The actual author of the letter is still unknown but the judge said a police investigation was on-going.
A different judge at an earlier hearing in December banned the blackmailer from publishing the allegations – even though his identity remained a mystery.
The follow up hearing was listed as “LJY v Persons Unknown”.
Mr Justice Nicklin said: “This is an extraordinary example of the behaviour of somebody who has set out to essentially terrify an individual by making threats in order to extort money.”
He made an order requiring the blackmailer to pay £25,000. LJY’s barrister, Jacob Dean, said the amount covered his the lawyers’ costs.
(c) Sky News 2018: Mystery celebrity spends £25,000 on legal costs after unknown blackmailer claims to have information about a ‘very serious’ criminal offence
