18 year-old Ameer Hamza Arshad received a one year jail sentence after losing an appeal at the Stafford Crown Court against charges of sexual blackmail. Mr Justice Jay stated that ‘this court has emphasised the seriousness and nastiness of the offence of blackmail on a number of occasions' and that 'his pre-sentence report demonstrates a lack of remorse or insight. This was a tough sentence, but imprisonment was close to being inevitable in this case.'
Arshad was taken to court after trying to bully a Birmingham-based school girl out of £50.00, claiming that he had topless pictures of her that he would show her protective brother. The judge ruled that the fourteen year-old, who had previously been targeted by other men associated with Arshad, 'was clearly a vulnerable victim and there was evidence of psychological difficulties.' Though the defence had asked to suspend the sentence on the basis of a good character reference, Mr Justice Jay said that the 'the period' that would be 'passed' by Arshad 'was not manifestly excessive' given the nature and attitude behind the offence.
