Student tried to blackmail Leeds player

A student tried to blackmail a Leeds United footballer by claiming he had a video of him abusing an Asian youth, a court has heard.

Andrew Costi, 20, of Woolwich, south-east London demanded £10,000 from the club and the player's agent, the court heard.

But no money was paid and the police were called.

Costi was jailed for 27 months by a judge at Chelmsford Crown Court after he admitted demanding money with menaces.

Both the club and the player were particularly vulnerable

Judge Ben Pearson

Steven Dyble, prosecuting, said there was no evidence that any such tape existed and no evidence of any such wrong-doing.

He said Costi had contacted the club in January claiming to have a tape of the player abusing the youth in Blackheath, in the summer of 2001.

Passing sentence, Judge Ben Pearson said: "You decided for no reason whatsoever to attack a football club and one of its players at a time when you understood ... that both the club and the player were particularly vulnerable.

Warning to others

"It seems you were quite prepared to virtually destroy the career of another person because that would have been the effect and you knew that."

He said he wanted the sentence to act as a warning to anyone else contemplating a similar offence.

The court heard that Costi had been on a gap year when he committed the offence and still hoped to study at university.

Louise De Rozarieux, defending, said her client had been having gambling problems and was now attending Gamblers Anonymous.