The article text:
Three men have been convicted by a German court of trying to blackmail the family of ex-Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher. Yilmaz T, 53, was jailed for three years for threatening to upload 900 personal photos, almost 600 videos, and confidential medical records to the dark web unless the Schumacher family paid €15 million (£12 million). His 30-year-old son received a six-month suspended sentence for aiding and abetting extortion. A former security guard at Schumacher's home, who denied any involvement, received a two-year suspended sentence.
Schumacher has not been seen in public since a 2013 ski accident that resulted in serious brain injuries. The family has been private about his medical condition. The father and son had admitted most of the charges, while Yilmaz T, a nightclub bouncer in Constance, southern Germany, referred to his actions as "very, very disgusting." He confessed in court that he received two hard drives from the security guard, Markus F, accused of passing the sensitive files for a "five-figure sum," one of which is believed to still be missing.
The judge held the security guard responsible for initiating the blackmail attempt. The Schumacher family's lawyer indicated plans to challenge the suspended sentence given to Markus F. According to the defense, Schumacher's wife, Corinna, had requested him to digitize the family's private photographs, claiming the material went missing after his contract ended.
Prior to the trial, the court revealed that the father and son had emailed samples of the stolen files to the Schumacher family. Recordings of phone calls made to the family were also presented, wherein Yilmaz T claimed to offer a "clean deal" rather than pursuing extortion. The Schumacher family alerted Swiss authorities, leading to the trio's arrest in June 2024.
Thilo Damm, the family's lawyer, expressed dissatisfaction with the sentences, labeling the acts as the "ultimate betrayal" and confirming their intention to appeal. He highlighted concerns over the unresolved fate of the missing hard drive, stating, "There is the possibility of another threat through the backdoor."
Three men have been convicted by a German court of trying to blackmail the family of ex-Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher. Yilmaz T, 53, was jailed for three years for threatening to upload 900 personal photos, almost 600 videos, and confidential medical records to the dark web unless the Schumacher family paid €15 million (£12 million). His 30-year-old son received a six-month suspended sentence for aiding and abetting extortion. A former security guard at Schumacher's home, who denied any involvement, received a two-year suspended sentence.
Schumacher has not been seen in public since a 2013 ski accident that resulted in serious brain injuries. The family has been private about his medical condition. The father and son had admitted most of the charges, while Yilmaz T, a nightclub bouncer in Constance, southern Germany, referred to his actions as "very, very disgusting." He confessed in court that he received two hard drives from the security guard, Markus F, accused of passing the sensitive files for a "five-figure sum," one of which is believed to still be missing.
The judge held the security guard responsible for initiating the blackmail attempt. The Schumacher family's lawyer indicated plans to challenge the suspended sentence given to Markus F. According to the defense, Schumacher's wife, Corinna, had requested him to digitize the family's private photographs, claiming the material went missing after his contract ended.
Prior to the trial, the court revealed that the father and son had emailed samples of the stolen files to the Schumacher family. Recordings of phone calls made to the family were also presented, wherein Yilmaz T claimed to offer a "clean deal" rather than pursuing extortion. The Schumacher family alerted Swiss authorities, leading to the trio's arrest in June 2024.
Thilo Damm, the family's lawyer, expressed dissatisfaction with the sentences, labeling the acts as the "ultimate betrayal" and confirming their intention to appeal. He highlighted concerns over the unresolved fate of the missing hard drive, stating, "There is the possibility of another threat through the backdoor."
