Wick woman attempted blackmail mover 'flirty' messages
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Wick Sheriff Court heard how a woman attempted to blackmail a man over “flirty” Facebook messages they had exchanged.
Claire Budge (35) threatened to divulge the messages to the man’s partner if he didn’t pay her £2000 but police were contacted and Budge was charged.
Sheriff Gary Aitken heard the pair became Facebook friends in early May, exchanging phone numbers and chatting regularly, with some of the content being “of a flirtatious nature”.
Fiscal Sue Foard said that the association took an adverse turn when Budge threatened to make their messages known to the man’s partner and told him she wanted £2000 to ensure her silence.
Solicitor Laura Jane Macfarlane said the accused’s actions were “out of character” and she was ashamed of her behaviour.
Sheriff Aitken made Budge, of Harbour Road, Occumster, subject to a six-month structured deferred order which he said would give her an opportunity to demonstrate she could stay out of trouble.
