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'£25,000 isn't a lot to me', says man facing court over royal blackmail plot
Last updated at 23:07pm on 03.11.07One of the two men awaiting trial over the royal sex and drugs blackmail plot has revealed details of his champagne lifestyle - claiming to spend up to £15,000 a month on enjoying himself.
Ian Strachan, 30, who faces the Old Bailey next month with 40-year-old Sean McGuigan, described his adventures on the fringe of the Royal social scene in a statement to his lawyer.
Both men allegedly threatened to release a video they claimed indicated a member of the Royal family had engaged in a sex act with an aide. They are accused of demanding £50,000 to hand over the footage, shot on a mobile phone.
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Champagne lifestyle: Ian Strachan
Strachan, who denies the blackmail claim, said in his statement that a half-share of the alleged demand was "not very much money to me".
He added his monthly outgoings were £10,000 to £15,000 which included "clothes, meals, champagne and travel".
Strachan went on: "There are always a lot of parties going on and there were ample opportunities to socialise. I would go to a party three to four times per week."
The university dropout, who owns a flat near Chelsea Harbour in London, boasts of wealth, saying: "If I had to sell everything now, I would probably have about £2million to £3million.
"My money is tied up in shares in shipping companies, bank accounts, properties, Eastern European investments and fashion companies."
Strachan said he expected to receive "a few million pounds" from his grandmother's estate.
"I have a number of extremely wealthy relatives all of whom will leave me money eventually," he said.
Even at Aberdeen University he was given "several thousand pounds a month" to live on.
"If we were seeking £50,000 for the tapes in this case, it would have only amounted to say £25,000 to me and this is not very much money to me and certainly not worth doing what I am alleged to have done," he added in the statement.
Strachan and McGuigan, of Battersea, South London, are said to have been caught in an undercover-sting by Scotland Yard. They are on remand at Belmarsh highsecurity prison following a secret court hearing last month.
Among the "numerous" Royals Strachan claims he has met socially are Princes William and Harry. Neither is the subject of the alleged blackmail attempt.
Strachan arrived in London several years ago from his native Aberdeen, where he attended grammar school. After dropping out of his law studies he "went into the clothing industry and also did some modelling".
He added: "Over the years I have engaged in a number of jobs and lines of work involving classic cars, promotion of events, fashion. I have made use of my numerous contacts."
