TWO Lancaster men have appeared in court charged with trying to blackmail one of the world's richest men. Geoffrey Crossley, 48, of Brookside Road and Simon Peach, 32, of Leslie Avenue, Caton, appeared at Horseferry Rd Court, London, following an alleged attempt to extort £75,000 from a London-based billionaire with an offer to supply a video featuring a group of MPs discussing threats against the businessman's life. Magistrate Mr Geoffrey Breen granted Crown prosecutor Mr Nazir Afzal's request for a Contempt of Court Act to ban the identification of the alleged victim, who was referred to in court as "A.B." The accused men, who were arrested by officers from New Scotland Yard's Organised Crimes Group in Holloway, North London, back in March, did not attend the brief hearing but their police bail was renewed until July 17.
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