So, a twenty-two year old goalkeeper has been charged with blackmail against a Premier League footballer. The story is that currently club less Goalkeeper Ashley Timms, is accused of demanding £15,000 from an unnamed player.
He appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday charged with making an unwarranted demand for money with menaces between March and April 2008. Mr Timms was granted bail and the case was sent to Manchester Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on 18 April. Magistrates made an order banning the publication of the Premier League player at the centre of the allegation. Of that we should be grateful.
Mr Timms, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, was once the goalkeeper for Manchester City’s under-19 team.
Obviously it would be wrong and unlawful to speculate on this particular matter, but it did get me wondering just what a Premier League Footballer could have done to have warranted being blackmailed. I thought they were all drug taking, alcoholic, bi-sexual, womanising wife beaters anyway? Allegedly.
The second point is why would someone only demand £15,000? Back in 2006 the average wage of a Premiership footballer was £676,000 per year. That would mean someone blackmailing me for about £500. Doesn’t seem worth it really.
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