A PLUMBER who had sex with a married man in a country lane later threatened to post a video of the act unless the victim handed over £5,000.

Father-of-two Benjamin Muskett, 31, pleaded guilty to blackmail at Chester Crown Court today and was jailed for three years.

He came up with his “vicious” plan during a stay in hospital when a fellow patient suggested it would be easy to extort money from married men who use a website for casual homosexual hook-ups.

The court heard his motivation was partly down to “antipathy” towards gay men – but defence lawyer Julian Farley said Muskett simply needed the money to support his family.

Outlining the case, prosecutor Peter Hussey said earlier this year the defendant began corresponding on a website with the 51-year-old victim, referred to as Mr X in court to protect his identity.

They then agreed to meet up in Cheshire on the afternoon of Sunday, September 2 this year.

“In the course of the correspondence it became clear that Mr X and the defendant should meet up for sexual contact,” Mr Hussey said.

“An arrangement was made whereby the complainant, Mr X, travelled to Sandbach and met in the car park of Co-op. He met the defendant who had given his name as Lee.

“The defendant got into Mr X’s vehicle and after a discussion they agreed to travel out to a country lane.”

They parked the car in a spot that would give them a good view of approaching vehicles or walkers and Mr X began performing a sex act on Muskett, who has a female partner. They stopped whenever someone passed by.

Judge Simon Berkson interjected: “There was a farcical scene whereby they pretended something was wrong with the car.”

Mr Hussey added: “Yes, they pretended to be fixing the tyre.”

The two men then travelled back to Sandbach and parted company. However, some time later Mr X was contacted on the same website by Muskett who tried to blackmail him.

“He received messages demanding that he pay up £5,000 in cash,” Mr Hussey told the court. “If he didn’t then there would be uploaded to the website a video that was taken of what they had been doing.

“Mr X was particularly concerned about that as the defendant had been holding a mobile phone.”

Muskett, of Oakmere Close, Sandbach, denied actually filming the sexual activity and a video was not discovered by police.

Unable to pay, and terrified that his family would find out, Mr X had no choice but to call the police.

“The fact that he is a married man was uppermost in Mr X’s mind in taking the decision to come forward,” said Mr Hussey.

Police then acted swiftly in arresting Muskett the following night and he made full admissions in police interview.

It emerged that he had told Mr X that he had “done this kind of thing before” – claims that were “to some extent verified”.

Mr Hussey told the court: “It seems that the defendant has some antipathy to people who, like Mr X, are prepared to engage in homosexual activity.”

Defending, Mr Farley stressed that his client had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was entitled to a full third off his inevitable prison sentence.

He also said Muskett acted to extort money rather than out of any aversion towards homosexuals.

The defendant had been away from his partner and two young children for some time but had moved back into a house as a family, Mr Farley said.

“He was on benefits and felt unable to provide for his family,” the lawyer said. “He’s a fully qualified plumber.”

He added: “In the cold light of day he realises how stupid he’s been and apologises unreservedly to Mr X.”

Sentencing, Judge Berkson told the defendant: “This crime was particularly vicious because it was planned and deliberate. You set up a profile on that website in order to carry out this crime.”

Muskett, who has seven previous convictions including using threatening behaviour and aggravated vehicle taking, will spend half of his sentence in custody and half on licence.