French paparazzi boss handed 18-month suspended sentence for blackmail / Photo: Leo VIGNAL - AFP/File
-
Sherilyn Smith Encourages Women to Embrace Scars as Symbols of Resilience
-
Korea's Severe Asthma Patients Blocked from Biologics by Restrictive Reimbursement Rules
-
Belgium Signs Contract for 20 Rheinmetall Skyranger Air Defence Systems
-
Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Signs Pacts With London and Ottawa Institutions at CIIE
-
Spectrocell Strengthens Product Discovery and Customer Engagement with Bioz Badges
-
Fulcrum Metals PLC Announces Fulcrum to Increase Shareholding in Loyalist
-
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC Announces Transaction in Own Shares - November 10
-
New Gold IRA Investing Guide Explains How to Buy Gold in an IRA for American Consumers
-
RBI Data Reveals Divergence in Credit Card Spending and Debit Card Cash Withdrawals
-
First-time boat buyers advised to assess full ownership costs
-
Panthers expected to begin 2027 NRL season away from new stadium
-
Planning and preparation can reduce stress of interstate relocation
-
Sweet As app launches restaurant discovery platform
-
Two more arrested in Carrie Mullane suspected murder investigation
-
Phoenix Restaurants Offer Thanksgiving Dinner to Go for Pickup
-
MLA seeks inquiry into reported sectarian gestures on Ormeau Road
-
Mayo school appeals for information after convent and chapel vandalism
-
Louise O’Reilly attacks Simon Harris over unemployment remarks
-
Virginia overwhelms Arkansas 91-72 behind balanced scoring
-
Canadian soldier Aidan Goulding remembered at Vancouver funeral
-
Second major storm brings destructive winds and outages to British Columbia
-
Tayyab Arif hits 57 on Pakistan Test debut against Sri Lanka
-
Godzilla Minus Zero leads North American box office with $31.6m
-
Robert Trujillo discusses literacy and social justice children’s books
-
Advocate calls for coordinated support for children facing trafficking
-
Civil rights advocate William Bill Tucker dies aged 98
-
Medicare Open Enrollment Ends Dec. 7: Review Your Coverage Options
-
Pennsylvania Democrats secure state trifecta in midterm elections
-
US Treasury order targets bank transfers linked to crypto exchange MEXC
-
Godzilla Minus Zero sets foreign-language box-office opening record
-
Nvidia CEO Controversy Sparks Fears of Tighter U.S. AI Chip Curbs for Samsung and SK hynix
-
Eagles record six sacks as rushing attack struggles against Giants
-
Villeneuve teases James Bond casting at Los Angeles museum gala
-
Thames Water seeks to delay £12bn in debt repayments
-
Nottinghamshire launches specialist rural crime policing team
-
Newark boxing gym expands alternative education programme
-
China confirms talks over possible Xi-Putin-Trump summit
-
Democrats consider impeachment drive against Defence Secretary Hegseth
-
Rail journey offers a slower route to a Berlin city break
-
Energy bill plan could use HMRC income data to target support
-
Arsenal control title race as Manchester United fall into bottom three
-
Business owner earning £6,000 a month tackles £70,000 debt
-
Suspected Krakow gunman dies after attack that killed six
-
Nvidia chief faces inquiry after disclosing affair with suspected Chinese agent
-
Carrick backs Dalot after hostile reception from Manchester United fans
-
Comet returns as online electrical marketplace 14 years after collapse
French paparazzi boss handed 18-month suspended sentence for blackmail
A French court on Tuesday sentenced paparazzi queen Mimi Marchand to an 18-month suspended prison sentence for blackmailing a TV host, saying she had "contempt" for her victim.
Marchand was convicted of extortion over a February 2020 incident in which she told Karine Le Marchand that she had paid an unknown photographer to block the publication of images showing the TV personality's underage daughter leaving police custody.
Le Marchand reimbursed Marchand 1,600 euros ($1,884), but during the trial, the tabloid boss said that she lied -- the photos were taken by one of her own BestImage agency photographers.
"The offences were facilitated by your network, by using your address book to secure favours by any means, showing contempt for the victims and a certain level of pettiness," said the presiding judge during the ruling.
The court said Le Marchand felt "indebted" to the 78-year-old, who made her believe there was a risk of publication, but in reality, the images were unsellable because her daughter was underage at the time.
The 18-month suspended sentence handed down by the court was harsher than the one-year suspended term requested by the prosecution.
A lawyer for Marchand said she would appeal "immediately", arguing she never solicited the payment.
The court fined Marchand 25,000 euros and ordered her to repay Le Marchand, saying it "does not matter" that she had not explicitly demanded the money.
Marchand was also charged in 2021 as part of an investigation into alleged corruption by former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who has been accused of taking money from former Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
A.Mahlangu--AMWN
