After eight years the married father-of-three finally told his lawyers and police last August, Chelmsford Crown Court heard. Anthony Still, 52, is alleged to have been the blackmailer.After eight years the married father-of-three finally told his lawyers and police last August about the alleged blackmail, Chelmsford Crown Court heard
He denies a charge of making unwarranted demands for money between June 2003 and August last year.
The businessman – whose name is protected by the court and is known only as ‘Barnaby’ – contacted an escort agency in 2002 and was put in contact with a teenage boy, aged 19, the jury was told.
The pair met for sex and took drugs but the contact between the two ended after the man paid the teenager £2,000 to pay off a drugs debt, it was said.
Oliver Glasgow, prosecuting, told the court the teenager’s father, who was concerned about his son’s erratic behaviour, asked a man he knew who ran a security business to check out his son.
Mr Glasgow said Still, who had had worked for this firm in various roles, is believed to have learnt about the relationship between the two.
The jury heard how Barnaby was initially asked for £35,000 from a man he knew as ‘Paul’ and was told if he did not pay up, the police and press would be told what he and the teenager had been doing.
Mr Glasgow said the demands continued after this payment with Still allegedly using ‘ever-inventive’ schemes to get money from his victim.
Barnaby eventually decided he could not go on with this and told police.
A search of Still’s home in St Johns Road, Clacton, Essex, revealed a ‘significant amount of paperwork’ linking him to Barnaby, Mr Glasgow said.
There was evidence Still had allegedly researched the business and family background of Barnaby, Mr Glasgow added.
Still told police the blackmail had never taken place and the whole thing had been made up by Barnaby.
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