Brazilian cleaner who blackmailed judge is sent to jail for three years
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A Brazilian cleaner who blackmailed a female judge and stole sex videos from a second judge with whom she had had an affair has been jailed for 33 months.
Roselane Driza, 37, was also recommended for deportation. She blew a kiss to journalists and smiled as she was led to the cells at the Old Bailey yesterday.
At an earlier hearing she was convicted of blackmailing Judge J, who cannot be named for legal reasons, over the fact that she was being employed illegally.
A jury heard Driza began an affair with Judge Mohammed Ilyas Khan, 60, after being sacked by Judge J. The judges were former lovers and Driza allegedly found a sex video showing them together.
Driza claimed the video, which she said she found at Mr Khan's north London home, also showed Judge J snorting cocaine.
The two judges, who are employed by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, were said to be unaware Driza was working illegally in the UK.
Judge Beaumont, the Recorder of London, in sentencing Driza, said: "You are a greedy and determined woman. Whatever the merits of your complaint about your treatment by Miss J, you saw an opportunity to make a lot of money and took it. The fact you did not succeed is a factor that I take into account. But the evil of blackmail is the misery it brings to its victims ... Accordingly, when blackmailers are caught they are sent to prison."
He jailed her for 30 months for blackmailing Judge J and a consecutive three months for stealing the videos. He told her that he would recommend she be deported on release.
Judge Beaumont told Driza the video theft had been a way she planned to keep control of Judge Khan.
He said: "Their theft was in my judgment a quite deliberate act on your part to make sure that you have a hold over the owner of those tapes in case you needed to use them." Judge Khan, who described Driza in a text message as "real chilli hot stuff", embarked on a relationship with her after ending his affair with Judge J.
Driza stole two sex videos from his home, where she had been living. The Old Bailey was told at the earlier hearing that Driza also sent a letter to the Department for Constitutional Affairs saying that Miss J had employed her even though she did not have a work permit.
The Department for Constitutional Affairs has launched an investigation into the judges' conduct.
It emerged after the trial that Driza had been married to a killer who is on the run from British police investigating a murder.
Driza's lawyers said they planned to lodge an application for leave to appeal against her convictions.