FORMER beauty queen convicted

Carolyn Pick threatened to ruin the career and reputation of the ex-footballer by claiming she would take a recording of alleged phone sex to the Press unless he paid her off.

Recorded on audio cassettes she sent to the ex-footballer, Pick, 36, carefully spelt out how the phone sex would also destroy his marriage and family life.

Although no direct demands for money or property were made, Pick said she liked expensive cars, big houses, fine wines and beautiful restaurants, adding that she was sure he could find a way of "correcting matters".

Unemployed Pick, from Washington, on Wearside, denied blackmail.

After hearing seven days of evidence at Newcastle Crown Court, the jury of seven men and five women took just 35 minutes to find the former beauty queen guilty of blackmail.

The jury had considered two alternative counts of blackmail and found Pick guilty of the more serious indictment.

Remanding Pick in custody, Judge David Hodson ordered psychiatric and pre-sentence reports. The usual penalty for blackmail is imprisonment, he said.

Pick, a former secretary, looked on impassively as the verdict was returned.

During the trial the court heard that Pick duped the ex-footballer into calling her in 1995. She alleged she had phone sex with him - a claim he denied - and bombarded him with letters and pictures asking him to call.

In 1997, she was cautioned by police for harassment but, in 1999 and January this year, she sent the ex-footballer cassettes with threatening messages recorded on them.

Pick denied blackmail, saying she only wanted him to apologise for failing to reply to her fan mail - claims branded as "clear lies" by the prosecution.

She admitted she did not have a recording of the phone sex and would not have wanted to destroy the career and personal life of a man she "fell in love with".

The ex-footballer was not present in court and declined to comment after the case.

Threats, lies and fantasies: Page 5