RAMANOUSKI: FACEBOOK USED FOR ‘EMOTIONAL BLACKMAIL’
A minicab driver who used Facebook to track down a witness in his trial and subject him to a campaign of ’emotional blackmail’ was jailed for 10 months.
Maksim Ramanouski, 21, bombarded Tom Britney with online messages begging him not to give evidence.
The Belorussian immigrant, who was charged with touting for illegal minicabs, used his girlfriend’s account on the social networking site carry out his campaign.
He waited until she had gone on holiday abroad so that he could impersonate her online, telling Mr Britney he was a ‘nice man’ who did not deserve a conviction.
Ramanouski deleted his messages from her profile so she would not realise what he had been doing.
He was to 10 months in prison at Snaresbrook Crown Court after he admitted perverting the course of justice.
Judge Louise Kamill told him: ‘You have, in my opinion, an amoral attitude to life.
‘You are somebody who is very resourceful for your own ends and ambitious for yourself.
‘You have targeted somebody who is vulnerable, because his name happens to be on Facebook.
‘Witnesses put themselves on the line. All they are doing is their civic duty and being good citizens to keep this country free of crime.
‘This offence is one that is always regarded as serious, because it undermines the social structure, it undermines our legal system, and you knew that.’
Prosecutor Jonathan Foy told the court that Ramanouski was originally found guilty of touting by magistrates, but successfully appealed against that conviction.
The appeal was scheduled to be heard at Isleworth Crown Court in West London on 24 February this year, with Mr Britney to be a key prosecution witness.
But on 9 February, Mr Britney received a series of Facebook messages from the account of Ramanouski’s then girlfriend, who was named in court as ‘Olga’.
The messages, apparently from Olga, asked the witness not to give evidence against her boyfriend, described him as a ‘nice man’, and said the trial was ‘a matter of life and death’ for him.
Judge Kamill described the messages as ‘emotional blackmail’.
Mr Britney reported the illegal contact to the authorities, who set about investigating where it had come from.
Ramanouski subsequently arranged to hand himself in and made a full confession.
He attended the police station with his girlfriend, who was initially arrested and questioned but released without charged when officers realised she had been duped by her partner.
The court heard that Ramanouski came to this country in September 2007. He studied English and was supported by his parents in Belarus.
In August this year, he married a Polish national.
Ramanouski, of (35) Windus Road, Stoke Newington, north London, admitted perverting the course of justice.
The appeal against his original touting conviction was upheld after Mr Britney gave evidence against him. The court heard he has committed the same offence on two other occasions.
ENDS
