Antique dealer's blackmailers jailed

Two blackmailers who picked on a bric-a-brac dealer after he made a £115,000 profit on an antique vase have been jailed.

Dealer Mark Tarbitt picked up an 18th-century Chinese vase at a country auction for £450 and went on to sell it at Christie's in London for £140,000, making £115,000 after commission.

He was targeted by two men who threatened to wrongly accuse him of child abuse if he did not give them money.

I've never made a hit like that, but this just goes to show the wisdom of discretion when one does make a good purchase (here's another example of how things can get messy). From the BBC.

Posted by David on January 31, 2003 10:06 AM