Mum faked £65k ‘sextortion’ threat

A MOTHER of three attempted to dupe police and Interpol by claiming to have been the victim of a £65,000 extortion plot at the hands of her rich French lover.

Tracy Barron claimed her oil worker ex-boyfriend had threatened to release intimate pictures to her family and the press.

Barron, of Ballater, Aberdeenshire, convinced an unwitting friend to post her fake extortion letter back to Scotland from Paris.

But her lies were exposed when police linked DNA evidence on the stamp to Barron’s friend.

He was arrested and disclosed details of the scheme.

Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that Barron contacted police in June 2019. She said: ‘The accused told police she had received a typed letter from her former partner that warned the accused and requested she transfer £65,000 within 14 days, otherwise intimate images of her would be disclosed to her family and sent to the newspapers.’

Barron told officers she had been ‘living in constant fear’ and a sixmonth-long investigation was launched involving Police Scotland’s International Division, French authorities and Interpol.

The 46-year-old has pleaded guilty to wasting police time.

Defence solicitor Peter Keene told the court she had become an ‘emotional wreck’ following the breakdown of her marriage and the relationship that followed with the wealthy French oil worker.

Mr Keene added: ‘She is utterly horrified at having to come to court today.’

Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told Barron: ‘This is serious in terms of the number of hours of work that the police have put into it and the amount of extensive, complicated inquiries and police resources.

‘Not to mention the unfortunate man who was arrested and questioned by police.’

As an alternative to prison, Sheriff McLaughlin sentenced Barron to a two-year supervision order and 200 hours of unpaid work.