Leslie phone images gang slammed

The mobile phone of John Leslie's ex-girlfriend was never found

Three people who went to a tabloid newspaper with "intimate" images stolen from an ex-girlfriend of John Leslie have been told to "grow up" by a judge.

Sophie Queffeleant, 34, of Southwick in West Sussex, took a mobile phone from her friend and workmate Rachel Bentley.

Her boyfriend Daniel Graves, 32, of the same address, and Lee Spring, 32, of Carden Avenue, Brighton, then offered images on the phone to The People.

On Friday they got two-year conditional discharges at Lewes Crown Court.

Queffeleant, of Underwood Road in Southwick, had pleaded guilty in July to stealing the mobile phone on 11 August last year.

Graves and Spring both admitted handling stolen goods between 1 and 12 August last year.

'Grubby little offence'

They were each told to pay £220 costs, while Queffeleant was also ordered to give £270 as compensation for the phone.

Prosecutor Marcus Fletcher said Queffeleant knew of the images through her friendship with Ms Bentley at the radio station, Southern FM.

He said the phone had contained pictures of Ms Bentley's ex-boyfriend, the TV celebrity John Leslie, including "personal images, intimate images".

She found out what was happening when The People told her it was being offered the photos for £20,000 and asked her for a comment.

Spring was followed home after meeting a reporter from the newspaper and the following day Ms Bentley confronted Queffeleant and called in the police.

Passing sentence, Judge Anthony Scott-Gall said: "It was a grubby little offence committed by grubby people trying to make a quick buck.

"The sooner you all grow up the better."