A WOMAN has been fined for trying to extort money from a man she claimed had molested her as a child.
Jade Christie said a therapist had helped her to remember the incident. The 25-year-old then threatened to tell everyone if the unnamed man did not give her £2,500 that same day.
Elgin Sheriff Court was told that the man, who lives in Keith, Moray, had not heard from Christie for a long time until he suddenly got a text message from her in March 2014.
The message read: “I remember what you did to me. I suppressed the memory. I went to the therapy because I was depressed and had such low self-worth and didn’t know why. She tapped into my mind and let me remember what you did in (XXX’s) house while I was asleep in bed with my purple silk PJs. She says I can take you to court for compensation for a life of trauma. She says it’s your fault when I tried to kill myself when I was 15.”
It continued: “You have a choice. You can pay £2500 into my bank or I take you to court for it... I will give you until 6pm or I’m telling them. Your choice. Which way do you want to pay?”
Christie added: “No amount of money will make what you did hurt any less ... I bet you thought you had got away with it after all these years. You asked if I was awake. You knew and you didn’t even care.”
Fiscal Kevin Corrins described the man’s reaction to the message as one of “complete shock”. Mr Corrins told the court the man received another text after calling Christie’s mother to tell her what had happened. It read: “You thought telling my mum first would have worked. Lucky I told a family friend when I was 15.”
The Keith man then received a third and final text that same day. It read: “You will pay one way.” The man went to the police. When formally interviewed, Christie claimed she had demanded money because, if paid, it would provide proof of his guilt.
Christie, who entered the court dock heavily pregnant, admitted attempting to extort the money. The court heard that she had been suffering with a drug problem at the time the texts had been sent. It was also stated in her defence that she had been diagnosed as having Borderline Personality Disorder.
Christie, whose address was given as being in Inverness, was fined £56.
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