Irish Wedding News
10/09/2012
Martin Peckham of Silverthorne Close, who admitted blackmail, demanded up to £200,000 from Mr Ecclestone, saying his daughter Tamara would be abducted otherwise.
The 41-year-old father-of-two concocted the plot because he was short of money for a wedding, Southwark Crown Court heard.
He could not afford to pay for a new wedding venue his fiancée had booked, and had not told her about his financial situation.
He had lost about £8,500 on a deposit for another wedding venue and also wanted to buy the house he shared with his fiancée.
Ms Ecclestone said the threat had left her "paranoid" and "scared to go out".
Prosecutor Peter Zinner said: "The plot was rather simple and amateurish but nevertheless menacing enough to rack up fear in the Ecclestone family and cause an immediate and devastating effect upon Mr Peckham's victims.
"The defendant, who is something of a fantasist, adopted the identity of one Marcus Black, pretending to be a security specialist who knew of a Middle Eastern plot to kidnap Tamara Ecclestone, and asked for £200,000 to provide information about it."
The F1 boss asked for a face-to-face meeting to handover the money but the blackmailer insisted on a "drop and pick-up" instead.
Peckham was arrested within days of police beginning an investigation.
He had failed to hide his telephone number.
Mr Ecclestone said: "At the time it sounded very serious but I was pleased to know it was actually an amateur trying to extract money."
(NE)
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'Amateur' Blackmailer Targets Ecclestones In Bid To Pay For Wedding
A man who tried to blackmail Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone to fund his own wedding has been jailed for five years.Martin Peckham of Silverthorne Close, who admitted blackmail, demanded up to £200,000 from Mr Ecclestone, saying his daughter Tamara would be abducted otherwise.
The 41-year-old father-of-two concocted the plot because he was short of money for a wedding, Southwark Crown Court heard.
He could not afford to pay for a new wedding venue his fiancée had booked, and had not told her about his financial situation.
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He had lost about £8,500 on a deposit for another wedding venue and also wanted to buy the house he shared with his fiancée.
Ms Ecclestone said the threat had left her "paranoid" and "scared to go out".
Prosecutor Peter Zinner said: "The plot was rather simple and amateurish but nevertheless menacing enough to rack up fear in the Ecclestone family and cause an immediate and devastating effect upon Mr Peckham's victims.
"The defendant, who is something of a fantasist, adopted the identity of one Marcus Black, pretending to be a security specialist who knew of a Middle Eastern plot to kidnap Tamara Ecclestone, and asked for £200,000 to provide information about it."
The F1 boss asked for a face-to-face meeting to handover the money but the blackmailer insisted on a "drop and pick-up" instead.
Peckham was arrested within days of police beginning an investigation.
He had failed to hide his telephone number.
Mr Ecclestone said: "At the time it sounded very serious but I was pleased to know it was actually an amateur trying to extract money."
(NE)
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