Blackmailing ex partner wants my house or else

breaking_free

The background: I was briefly married to an abusive partner but fled after less than a year. He married me because he believed I would provide him with a life of leisure by paying all the bills and being an uncomplaining doormat (I've started previous threads about this).

My father didn't take kindly to my partner's treatment of me and earned himself a moderate prison sentence by attacking my ex, causing some permanent scarring.

My ex partner has since returned to Ireland and I'm still in the UK. I do not have any address for him. He's just called me twice to say that unless I sell him my house in Ireland for a fifth of its value he will take a civil case against my father and 'clean him out'. My ex partner repeated this threat multiple times and I recorded the entirety of both conversations. My ex partner states that he is 'untouchable' (meaning that the police can't touch him).

For the record, my father and I are both from the other side of the world. My ex has convinced himself that he can take a civil case against my dad and take his overseas house off him.

Question: My ex has made multiple blackmail threats which I have recorded. Am I able to pursue any kind of case against him when he is in the Republic of Ireland?

Thanks in advance.

emmatthews

I would pay a solicitor for some advice on this one if you feel you need to take his threats seriously.

I would imagine it will be very expensive for your ex to take civil action against someone in a different country. Depending on how severe the injuries are and how much of an impact on his life they've had, he may not be awarded very much anyway.

I would be inclined to speak to the Police and get some advice over the blackmail.

breaking_free

Thank you.

I called 101 last night and will be talking to an officer today to get everything on record.

I agree with you that a civil case is unlikely, but my ex just likes to throw out threats to attempt to keep me in fear of him. Heck, I've been told he'll burn my house down with me inside, have the Irish 'lads' go to my country and kill my parents, etc, ad infinitum. He's simply a bully who is incensed that I got away and took my wallet with me.

If he were here in the UK I believe I could take action against him for the blackmail, but as he's in the Republic of Ireland this may not be possible.

hazyjo

How is he contacting you, and why are you still talking to him?! Put the phone down. Are there kids involved?


How long were you together before marrying (and did you live together beforehand)?


Not sure you can use recorded material if they didn't know they were being recorded - expect that changes along with circumstance, so you'd need to take legal advice.


Jx

Out,_Vile_Jelly

You need to get a new mobile number and ensure only friends and family have it.

Good idea to speak to the police about threats and blackmail. You should also be investing in time with a divorce lawyer to confirm the legal status of assets following the short marriage.

breaking_free

hazyjo wrote: »

How is he contacting you, and why are you still talking to him?! Put the phone down. I answered the phone because I didn't know it was him. I continued talking so I could record him and submit the recording to the police. I have a restraining order against him so the recording is evidence that he's broken this.

Are there kids involved? No children.


How long were you together before marrying (and did you live together beforehand)? It was a whirlwind relationship as (in hindsight) he was determined to get me committed as soon as possible. I married him after a mere four months. I was assaulted for the first time within a week of marrying him.


Not sure you can use recorded material if they didn't know they were being recorded - expect that changes along with circumstance, so you'd need to take legal advice. He did know he was being recorded and actually stated "I know you're recording me as usual" to which I replied "You know I record everything". He has a history of harassing me, which is why I record his calls.
Jx

I was interviewed by the police this morning and surprise, surprise - he is appearing at Magistrate's court in London at the end of this month (the officer couldn't tell me why). When he returns to the UK to face that charge he'll be pinged at the airport and arrested to face this new charge of breaking the restraining order I have against him.

However, I'm getting off topic a bit. My original question was whether I could start proceedings against him for blackmail while he was in Ireland. As he's now supposed to be coming back to the UK I think the issue has suddenly become a whole lot easier. Thanks for the replies thus far.

TBagpuss

I would recommend that you speak to a solicitor.
Are you divorced, and has there been a financial settlement? If not, get that sorted ASAP.
Have you reported the threats and abuse to the police? If not, do that now. Even though the police may not be able to do anything if he is in Ireland it will create a record of the threats.
what were the circumstnaces in which you recorded the threats / blackmail? Generally speaking you cannot make use of recorded telephone conversations unless the other person involved with the call was aware they were being recorded, so if your ex cals again, let it go to voicemail rather thanpicking up the phone an then recording him.

Your dad could take advice about what sort of sums might be involved if your ex were to sue him. Given that your dad was convicted of assault and sent to prison it must have been a fairly serious assault, and the criminal conviction would be sufficient evidence of your dad's responsibility as the criminal standard of proof is higher than the civil one.

The amount of compensation would depend on the severity of the injury and how long the effects lasted, whether your ex had any subsequent losses as a result (e.g. loss of earnings)

A personal injury siolicitor would be able to give your dad some advice about what range of damages might be awarded. Obviously how much he would be entitled to would depend on a lot of factors but unless he was severely scarred or injured then I'd be surprised if he would be entitled to anyhing like 4/5 of the value of your house (unless your house is of very low value!), so even if he caries out his threat you may do beter to get the hosue sold and then to give or lend your dad some money in the event that your ex dpoes sue him, if you feel that is fair.

Another way of looking at it is that your dad made a bad choise to assualt someone and having to pay comepnsation to the peson he injured is one of the cosequeneces of that choice, and is not your responsibility.

Guest101

breaking_free wrote: »

The background: I was briefly married to an abusive partner but fled after less than a year. He married me because he believed I would provide him with a life of leisure by paying all the bills and being an uncomplaining doormat (I've started previous threads about this).

My father didn't take kindly to my partner's treatment of me and earned himself a moderate prison sentence by attacking my ex, causing some permanent scarring.

My ex partner has since returned to Ireland and I'm still in the UK. I do not have any address for him. He's just called me twice to say that unless I sell him my house in Ireland for a fifth of its value he will take a civil case against my father and 'clean him out'. My ex partner repeated this threat multiple times and I recorded the entirety of both conversations. My ex partner states that he is 'untouchable' (meaning that the police can't touch him).

For the record, my father and I are both from the other side of the world. My ex has convinced himself that he can take a civil case against my dad and take his overseas house off him.

Question: My ex has made multiple blackmail threats which I have recorded. Am I able to pursue any kind of case against him when he is in the Republic of Ireland?

Thanks in advance.

Where's the blackmail?

So far seems perfectly sensible. Your father assaulted him and got sent down. He's entitled to civil remedy.

Mojisola

breaking_free wrote: »

He's just called me twice to say that unless I sell him my house in Ireland for a fifth of its value he will take a civil case against my father and 'clean him out'.

Guest101 wrote: »

Where's the blackmail?

So far seems perfectly sensible. Your father assaulted him and got sent down. He's entitled to civil remedy.

Sounds like blackmail to me - give me a load of money or I'll do something nasty.

breaking_free

Mojisola wrote: »

Sounds like blackmail to me - give me a load of money or I'll do something nasty.

Thanks Mojisola - saved me a reply there.

Guest101

Mojisola wrote: »

Sounds like blackmail to me - give me a load of money or I'll do something nasty.

Not really, a letter before action is:


"Give me money or i'll take you to court", which is what he's saying.


and a LBA is part of pre-action protocol for civil cases