Queensland man jailed in Townsville District Court for million-dollar extortion of secret mistress

A father of two blackmailed his secret mistress into sending him more than $1 million over the course of a decade. The details of the ex-lovers escapades were revealed in Townsville District Court.

Generic photo, Townsville Court House. Picture: Shae Beplate.

A man who blackmailed his secret mistress into sending him more than $1 million over the course of a decade has been jailed for extorting his ex-lover.

The father of two, who can’t be named to protect the victim’s identity, appeared in Townsville District Court on Tuesday after he forced the woman with whom he had an affair, to send him $1,745,219.97 in order for him to keep quiet about their secret romance.

Crown prosecutor Rana Aldas told the court that the man from Maryborough met the woman several decades ago, while both were in relationship.

She said the extortion period went for 11 years.

“Ultimately the defendant threatened the complainant that if she did not pay him various moneys upon his demands that he would tell her husband that she had engaged in several affairs, including their own,” Ms Aldas said.

The crown said the moneys would be transferred predominantly to bank accounts in the defendants name, but some of that money was also transferred to accounts in the name of the defendants’ wife and daughter.

It was said in court that the man put most of the money into a Sports Bet account, rather than spending it.

Queensland man jailed in Townsville District Court for million-dollar extortion of secret mistress.

The court was told the man is no longer with that wife – she and his daughter are not accused of any wrongdoing.

“In terms of the transactions to the defendant’s one account, that exceeded $1.6 million across 1,183 separate transactions,” Ms Aldas said.

“The offending that took place over that period of time in circumstances where the defendant would have called the complainant and demanded moneys of her, she took measures such as blocking the number or disconnecting her landline that the defendant would find other means to reach out to her.”

Defence barrister Ms Loode said it was accepted that there would be a “lasting impact” on the woman but that the offending was not the worst of its kind.

The court was told the man showed remorse due to his early plea of guilty, and that he had job offers for when he was released from jail.

“There was no significant pre-planning, it was opportunistic that it fed off his gambling addiction at the time, it is not offending that involves a particularly vulnerable or disabled.”

“It is not a matter where there has been a significant mental health result for the complainant that might have even led to suicide or the like.”

Judge Gregory Lynham said that the fact that he entered an early guilty plea demonstrated both his co-operation with the administration of justice and perhaps more importantly spared the complainant the distressing humiliation of having to come to court with evidence.

He pleaded guilty to extortion.

He was sentenced to 10 years jail, and given a parole eligibility date of May 2, 2027.

Originally published as Queensland man jailed in Townsville District Court for million-dollar extortion of secret mistress