Man who blackmailed royal over gay sex claims found dead
A man who blackmailed a junior royal over claims had performed a gay sex act has been found dead.
Ian Strachan , who also went by the name Charles Goldstein, was jailed in 2008 over the plot to blackmail the unnamed member of the Royal Family.
Strachan, who was jailed alongside co-conspiritor Sean McGuigan, claimed to have a video of the figure snorting cocaine and performing a sex act on a male aide at a party.
The pair attempted to sell the story to newspapers, but later turned to blackmail, demanding £50,000 from the figure, who has never been named publicly.
During his trial, Strachan was described as a complex fantasist who spun a web of lies.
The Sun reports that Strachan, who served 30 months behind bars, was found dead at his mother’s flat in Chelsea, West London.
Coroners have carried out tests and have failed to identify a cause of death.
A preliminary inquest is set to take place later this month, according to the Mirror.
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