A BLACKMAIL victim who was allegedly threatened with death by a former boxer if he failed to make good on a £2.5m debt, was involved in fraud, it was claimed in court yesterday.

The allegation came during the trial of security boss William Isaac, who denies blackmailing the Teesside businessman with menaces.

It was claimed earlier in the hearing that Mr Isaac, of Thornley Lane, South Denton, Manchester, and three other men, entered business premises and threatened to kill the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as well as his wife and his children, if he did not pay.

The victim was allegedly told to “look up Billy Isaac on the internet”, with a Google search bringing up a newspaper story from 2005, detailing a previous court case where Mr Isaac was jailed for possessing live firearms ammunition without a licence.

Yesterday, Mr Isaac told Teesside Crown Court he had been called in to help collect the debt, which was owed following a VAT fraud scam.

He said he was collecting for two creditors, who he had been told were owed £1.6m and £900,000, because they had been scared off by an associate of the victim, who Mr Isaac would identify only as Mr X.

The 42-year-old said he had met the victim to ask for the money, but said he did not make any threats and had spoken to the victim “like a gentleman”.

He said he introduced himself and shook hands with the man, before asking him if he owed the money, to which the man said he did. He also told the man he should pay it, to which he replied he would.

“To say I threatened his wife and children disgusts me,” Mr Isaac told the court.

“I would say the meeting was cordial – firm, but cordial.”

He denied telling the man to look him up on the internet and told the court he had not been aware of the article and did not know how to use a computer.

“I said, ‘I know what you are like, I know you like ripping people off and if that is what you want to do, good luck to you, I hope you live a long and happy life, but you need to pay this one,” Mr Isaac told the court.

Mr Isaac refused to name anyone else involved with the alleged incident and, as a consequence, has been unable to call any of them as witnesses.

The court heard that Mr Isaac would have stood to gain up to £250,000 – ten per cent – on collection.

Cross-examining, Andrew Robertson, QC, said: “The fact of the matter is, because of the fear you instilled in (the victim) you never thought he would go to the police, did you?”

Mr Isaac said: “Of course I never thought he would go to the police. There were no laws broken. We had a conversation.”

The case continues on Tuesday.