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Teddy bear seller ‘used student's Muslim faith to blackmail her’
A gift-shop owner extorted £8,000 from a Muslim student who feared that she would be reported to the police as a “terrorist sympathiser”, a court was told yesterday.
Mary Sturges, who owns a shop selling teddy bears in Totnes, Devon, is alleged to have concocted an elaborate story to persuade Nabilah Hussain, 21, to hand over the money. Mrs Sturges, 53, claimed that Ms Hussain, whom she had befriended, had been recorded by her hairdresser’s husband saying that the “the British deserve what they get” during a discussion about terrorism.
She claimed to be a former solicitor and warned Ms Hussain that she could end up in court over the comments. At first she said that the hairdresser’s husband wanted £200, but after Ms Hussain had paid the demands became larger and she handed over a total of £8,000, Plymouth Crown Court was told.
Ms Hussain turned in desperation to her family for money, making up a story that she had hit a sheep on a Dartmoor road and the farmer wanted compensation. Her parents realised that something was wrong and travelled from their home in Surrey to Devon to find out what was going on.
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Mrs Sturges, a Muslim convert from Tuckenhay, near Totnes, denies six charges of blackmail and three of deception. Her son, Mark Blondiaux, 19, denies one charge of blackmail.
Ms Hussain became friendly with Mrs Sturges and her husband, James, when she took a part-time job in a bistro next to the couple’s Bear Shop in Totnes.
Llewellyn Sellick, for the prosecution, said that the blackmail started when they had a row about race, religion and terrorism during a visit to the hairdresser. He said: “Nabilah did not remember making the remark and it is important to point out she is British. You can imagine what effect all this had on her.
“[Mrs Sturges] frightened Nabilah into handing over money and the threat was that if she did not do so, she would be in serious trouble with the police. It was completely false but she engineered Nabilah into believing it.
“She said she was being investigated by the racial equality police. No such body exists but this scared girl believed her and it built up the pressure. Nabilah was well and truly hooked by now.”
Mrs Sturges told police she was wealthy and did not need the money because her shop was successful. She later accepted that it had an overdraft of £50,000.
The trial continues.
http://www.islamicity.com/m/news_frame.asp?Frame=1&referenceID=44313
Teddy bear seller ‘used student's Muslim faith to blackmail her’
A gift-shop owner extorted £8,000 from a Muslim student who feared that she would be reported to the police as a “terrorist sympathiser”, a court was told yesterday.
Mary Sturges, who owns a shop selling teddy bears in Totnes, Devon, is alleged to have concocted an elaborate story to persuade Nabilah Hussain, 21, to hand over the money. Mrs Sturges, 53, claimed that Ms Hussain, whom she had befriended, had been recorded by her hairdresser’s husband saying that the “the British deserve what they get” during a discussion about terrorism.
She claimed to be a former solicitor and warned Ms Hussain that she could end up in court over the comments. At first she said that the hairdresser’s husband wanted £200, but after Ms Hussain had paid the demands became larger and she handed over a total of £8,000, Plymouth Crown Court was told.
Ms Hussain turned in desperation to her family for money, making up a story that she had hit a sheep on a Dartmoor road and the farmer wanted compensation. Her parents realised that something was wrong and travelled from their home in Surrey to Devon to find out what was going on.
Related Links
Mrs Sturges, a Muslim convert from Tuckenhay, near Totnes, denies six charges of blackmail and three of deception. Her son, Mark Blondiaux, 19, denies one charge of blackmail.
Ms Hussain became friendly with Mrs Sturges and her husband, James, when she took a part-time job in a bistro next to the couple’s Bear Shop in Totnes.
Llewellyn Sellick, for the prosecution, said that the blackmail started when they had a row about race, religion and terrorism during a visit to the hairdresser. He said: “Nabilah did not remember making the remark and it is important to point out she is British. You can imagine what effect all this had on her.
“[Mrs Sturges] frightened Nabilah into handing over money and the threat was that if she did not do so, she would be in serious trouble with the police. It was completely false but she engineered Nabilah into believing it.
“She said she was being investigated by the racial equality police. No such body exists but this scared girl believed her and it built up the pressure. Nabilah was well and truly hooked by now.”
Mrs Sturges told police she was wealthy and did not need the money because her shop was successful. She later accepted that it had an overdraft of £50,000.
The trial continues.
http://www.islamicity.com/m/news_frame.asp?Frame=1&referenceID=44313