JOBLESS Ramtin Ebrhimpourkoloor blackmailed a married businessman over his secret affair with a young woman, a court heard.

Iranian-born Ebrhimpourkoloor, of Priory Road, High Wycombe, was convicted of the offence by a jury after a five-day trial at Oxford Crown Court, which ended on Friday.

The court heard how Ebrhimpourkoloor demanded £10,000 from his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and threatened to send the man's wife compromising photos of him with his mistress if he did not pay up.

The defendant, who was caught with two copies of the blackmail letter in his car, claimed that the plot had been hatched between the two to scare away the "gold-digging mistress."

Ebrhimpourkoloor, who had come to England in 1981 during the revolution in Iran, was arrested on January 8 this year after the businessman received a letter demanding the cash.

Basil Hillman, prosecuting, said that when police arrested the defendant they found he was £6,000 in debt - and that was the motive behind the scam.

The court heard the businessman and Ebrhimpourkoloor had become friends and the victim, who confessed to his affair with a beautiful 22-year-old woman, said his marriage would end if his wife found out.

Ebrhimpourkoloor insisted the blackmail plot was faked to get rid of the woman - even though the £10,000 demand was to be paid into his own Abbey National bank account.

Mr Hillman told him: "You have been weaving a web of lies. You were the only person who stood to gain by this.

"You had the photos in your possession. Why go through this pantomime and pretence? Why would the victim inform the police he was being blackmailed if he was in on the plan?"

Judge David Morton Jack adjourned sentencing for reports.

Ebrhimpourkoloor was remanded in custody for three weeks.

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