A SEX therapist’s husband blackmailed a tech CEO and stalked his model daughter following a battle over a £1.2million home.
Darren Cooper falsely accused Peter Gillingwater, 52, of drug dealing and sexual abuse in an online blog.
He also tried to destroy Peter’s daughter Aimee Gillingwater’s modelling career with Chanel in the “abusive and derogatory” smear campaign.
Cooper then demanded sums of £250,000, £100,000 and £80,000 to close down the blog and delete the abusive post.
The 54-year-old targeted Peter after he gave evidence at a 2020 High Court case over a home co-owned by his sex therapist husband Thain Kleinhentz.
Kleinhentz lost a claim for a £250,000 share of the home in Barons Court, West London, which his ex Mark Harrison sold for £1.2million.
Peter evidence on behalf of Mr Harrison, which caused Cooper to create the blog slamming his character and behaviour in the witness box.
Cooper has now been found guilty of attempting to blackmail Peter and stalking him and his daughter between January 1, 2021 and July 19, 2023.
Sentencing was adjourned until December but a restraining order banning contact with Aimee and Peter was issued.
Jonathan Whitley, prosecuting, said: “This is vengeful behaviour that arises from a civil court case in 2020 when Mr Kleinhentz said he was entitled to a share of the property owned by Mr Harrison.
“Mr Kleinhentz lost with an order for costs against him and he declared .
“This defendant is his husband and believes he should have won the case and blames the complainant for losing.
“Cooper admits posting the material and sending emails to the family and company board members and says he was justified in doing that.”
Inner London Crown Court heard Cooper threatened to target one of Aimee’s upcoming shows and said he would “destroy her”.
He also described Peter as a “paedo” and claimed he “lies in court about previous sexual abuse allegations”.
Mr Whitley said: “The blog posts were sent to the family and others, including board members of the man’s company to denigrate his reputation and the rest of his family.”
Cooper further sent messages to Aimee, saying: “OMG. I saw on twitter your dad raped you, b******”.
He also threatened to link her to child sex abuse images on the dark web and caused the family “serious distress”.
Peter told jurors his family decided to go to authorities after receiving an email that referred to the “gang bang” of his daughter.
He added: “She was a significant target. The language and implication was unacceptable and we decided it was time to take action about these hundreds of emails and documents and approach the .”
Both Cooper and his husband Thain were arrested but police charged only the defendant.
He claimed he and Thain were the victims of “slurs” and he was simply “trying to shine a light on abuse”.
It is not clear if the couple are still together.
