“No Strings Adult Fun” turns out to have lots of strings attached for lawyer
A Leeds solicitor has fallen into a honey trap as old as the hills in a story that eventually saw his blackmailer handed a two-year prison sentence — but not before he was £34,000 lighter.
The lawyer — who cannot be named owing to a court order — first encountered Leeds woman Samantha Patrick through an online dating service.
According to a report in the Yorkshire Evening Post, the court heard that the married professional had been frequenting websites including No Strings Adult Fun and SaucySingles (pictured).
Barrister Robert Galley of the Crown Prosecution Service told Leeds Crown Court, with Recorder Anil Murray sitting, that 41-year-old Patrick, a single mother of one, and the lawyer first arranged to meet in late 2012.
Because she had a young child at home, they decided to have sex at his residence.
Some time later Patrick asked the lawyer for relatively small sums of cash, maintaining she needed the funds to deal with several household repairs.
The lawyer initially paid without complaint, but objected when the amount of cash demanded escalated to £1,000. However, Patrick threatened to expose the lawyer’s infidelity to his wife, neigbours and colleagues, so he continued to pay, ultimately forking out tens of thousands before finally going to the police.
Indeed, the court heard that the lawyer is still in debt and that Patrick admitted the blackmail.
Legal Cheek life lesson: even lawyers can get into trouble with their pants down.