A woman has been jailed for extorting £25,000 out of a man following a sexual encounter.
Cupar Sheriff Court heard Katrina Soutar, 28, whose address was given as Perth Prison, initially met the man at a pub in Kirkcaldy and the pair went on to have a sexual encounter, after which Soutar obtained £200 from him.
In the months which followed, Soutar demanded more money from the man and told him if he did not pay her, he would be harmed.
Each time the man obliged until he eventually went to the police and reported Soutar.
After listening to recorded telephone calls between Soutar and the man, Soutar was detained on suspicion of extortion.
She admitted that between December 2012 and March this year at Lawson Gardens, Roslyn Street and High Street, Kirkcaldy, she threatened and intimidated the man into handing over £25,000 against his will, by using threats.
Defence solicitor Krista Johnston said Soutar admitted she had taken advantage of the complainer but she had been “surprised” at how compliant he had been in providing her with more money after the initial payment of £200.
Ms Johnston said almost £18,000 of the £25,000 had been recovered and that if her client could sign that money over to the complainer personally, she would do so.
She added: “Regarding the threats, there was, in fact, no actual threat to the complainer. The threats were fictitious.
“The accused is young and fairly vulnerable herself and was abusing valium at the time.”
Sheriff Charles Macnair said: “Over an extended period you made threats to the complainer. You may not have been in a position to fulfil those threats … but he did not know that.
“The sum of money extorted was very substantial, being £25,000 and a significant figure has not been recovered.”