Former TV star’s ‘ambush’ – court

FORMER reality television contestant Suzi Taylor, working as an escort, allegedly had a flatmate tie up a male client and both assaulted him to force him to pay her hundreds of dollars, a court has heard.

David Butler told Brisbane District Court how after he went to a New Farm unit to meet an escort he knew as Katie, for half an hour of sex, he was tied up for hours, punched and kicked.

Crown prosecutor Ben Jackson told the Brisbane District Court jury Katie was Suellen Jan Taylor.

Taylor and Ali Ebrahimi on Thursday pleaded not guilty to charges of deprivation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm in company, extortion, fraud and attempted fraud.

The offences were allegedly committed on October 30, 2019, at a New Farm unit.

Mr Butler, 34, told the court of text exchanges with escort Katie, prior to him going to the Bowen Terrace unit.

“Babe can u wear something tight and black, with stockings & high heals (sic),” Mr Butler wrote in one text shown to the court.

He said after he and Katie drank champagne and red wine on the balcony for a few hours she very forcefully told him, “Come to the bedroom”, and they began kissing and touching. Mr Butler said after Katie became topless she said to him: “If you want this to continue you’ve got to pay me some money.”

Mr Butler said when he refused, Katie got angry and called out “Ali, he’s got no money”. He said two men came into the room yelling at him for money, and one, whom the Crown alleges was Ebrahimi, grabbed him by the throat, dragging him to the kitchen.

Mr Butler said his wrists were then tied behind his back with a cord by the male.

He said Ali told him he was going to kill him if he did not give him his bank account PIN, so he provided the number.

Mr Butler said eventually the pair were able to get $950 transferred from his account, after he had been tied up for hours.

He said at one point he tried to escape and screamed as he ran towards a door, but he was pulled back by Ali and assaulted again.

In his Crown opening, prosecutor Ben Jackson said things went “off the rails” after Taylor allegedly told Mr Butler he had to pay her $500.

He said the Crown alleged Taylor procured, arranged or encouraged Ebrahimi to tie up Mr Butler and use violence, in order to get money she believed she was owed.

Mr Jackson said the alleged threat of harm had a real effect on Mr Butler, whom the court heard was eventually untied and allowed to go home.

He said apart from the $950 allegedly taken from Mr Butler’s bank account, $250 also was taken from his wallet before it was returned to him.

Mr Butler said he felt “horrified, scared and traumatised” during the hours-long ordeal, and soiled his pants after Ali refused his request to go to the bathroom.

The four-day trial continues.