Two men are behind bars for targeting Wayne and Coleen Rooney in a blackmail plot.
At Manchester Crown Court, 29 year-old Lee Platt and 42 year-old Steven Malcolm were jailed for their part in the scheme to blackmail the famous couple.
The two criminals and an accomplice, Jennifer Green, 26, gained possession of a camera lost by Coleen at a concert at the Manchester Evening News Arena.
They then tried to sell the photographs to tabloid newspapers and celebrity magazines.
When this failed the pair turned to blackmail and threatened to distribute the images if they were not paid £5,000.
British Transport Police, which has responsibility for policing the MEN arena, was notified of the theft and attempted blackmail and launched an in-depth investigation.
Detective Inspector Andrea Rainey said: "Platt and Malcolm conspired to extort money from Mr and Mrs Rooney by threatening to release images of their family.
"They approached both Mr Rooney’s agent and his employer in a bid to extort money."
BTP employed the use of an undercover officer who arranged to meet Malcolm to exchange the images for cash.
At the meeting Malcolm was arrested and further investigation - including detailed analysis of mobile phone usage - revealed the full plot.
Platt, of Heaton Park Road, Blackley, was recognised by the court as the ringleader and pleaded guilty to blackmail and receiving stolen goods.
He was sentenced to three years in prison.
Malcolm, of Silkin Close, Manchester, pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment for blackmail and 10 months for receiving stolen goods.
Green, of Heaton Park Road, Blackley, pleaded guilty to assisting in the reception of stolen goods and was handed a 12 month community order with the instruction to complete 60 hours of unpaid work.
Post a comment