Motorsport

MICHAEL Schumacher’s security guard allegedly tried to sell photos of the legend after his shocking ski accident in a £12million blackmail plot. The public prosecutor’s office arrested Markus F, 52, from Wülfrath on Thursday as the main perpetrator behind the suspected attempt to extort the Schumacher family.The alleged blackmail targeted Schumacher’s family, say German copsCredit: AlamyMichael’s loving wife Corrina has protected his privacy since a horror ski crash over a decade agoCredit: AFPMichael has not been seen publicly since his 2013 ski accident.Credit: AFPIn the shocking twist, Markus F was a ‘trusted’ security expert working for the F1 icon’s family a few years ago.Now he is being accused of orchestrating the blackmail that threatened to release images of seven-time champ Schumacher in the years following his skiing accident in December 2013.The family has kept the champion racing driver’s health a guarded secret for years – which the photos would have exposed. Markus F wanted to reportedly free himself of his debts by committing the heinous crime. read more in schumacherIts claimed he had previously tried to sell the pics to the media for two years.The mastermind is said to have commissioned bouncer Yilmaz T, 53, from Wuppertal to carry out the blackmail.Markus F’s role is alleged to have been turning private pictures of the family into digital files before transferring to Yilmaz T and his son.  When 53-year-old Yilmaz T was arrested with his son Daniel L, 30, the two reportedly told police they had been acting on behalf of Markus F.Most read in MotorsportThe man was detained on Thursday in Wülfrath as a large number of evidence was also seized from his property.Family employees close to wife Corinna Schumacher were said to have been approached by the trio who claimed to have found a file of secrets on the F1 driver.Schuey’s family awarded £170k damages over AI-generated ‘chat with F1 star’Michael, who hasn’t been seen or heard from for over a decade after a horror ski crash, has been looked after by his close-knit family since the accident.According to the Wuppertal office, the men said the family wouldn’t want the files to become public due to what they contained.Doorman Yilmaz T. is said to be one of the three men behind the planTo keep the information private the trio reportedly demanded they were sent millions to keep the information off the dark web.The suspects were even alleged to have sent some of the files to the family as proof, said prosecutors in June.Cops were able to track down the extortionists through “technical measures”, it was announced last month.The Schumacher family have been tormented over Michael’s health in the past.In 2016, a 25-year-old man known as Hüseyin B sent a threatening email to Corinna targeting the couple’s children.The mum-of-two quickly passed on the email to the police who swiftly tracked down the painter.After being arrested, the thug was sent to court where a judge sentenced him for a year and nine months behind bars.The perpetrator was reportedly caught after he told Corinna to send him the money to his personal bank account – something the police easily traced back.READ MORE SUN STORIESAt the hearing, judge Eberhard Hausch said: “To put it gently, putting your own account number there is not very smart.” In May, the Schumacher family were awarded £170,000 in compensation after a magazine published a fake AI-generated interview with the racing legend.What happened to Michael Schumacher?MICHAEL Schumacher’s life was hanging by a thread 10-years-ago as medics tried desperately to keep him alive after a tragic skiing crash that left him with horrific brain injuries.The F1 legend was given the best possible treatment as he was put into a medically induced coma, had his body temperature lowered and underwent hours of tricky operations on his brain.Back in 2013, the retired seven-time world champion, and his then 14-year-old son set off on the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French resort of Meribel.Footage from his helmet camera revealed he was not travelling at excessive speed when his skis struck a rock hidden beneath the snow.He catapulted forward 11.5ft and crashed into a boulder head first that split his helmet into two and left him needing to be airlifted to hospital for two life-saving operations.At one point his family were told to brace themselves for the worst case scenario as the situation was much worse than originally believed.At the time, medics said Schumacher was likely to stay in an induced coma for at least 48 hours as his body and mind recovered.But the coma ended up lasting 250 days – more than eight months.After he woke up in June 2014, he was discharged from hospital and sent to his home in Lake Geneva to get further treatment.Since then his wife Corinna and his inner circle of friends have expertly avoided almost anything leaking out about his health status.Only small amounts of information have been released including reports that Schumacher was in a wheelchair but can react to things around him.In 2019, it was said that Schumacher was set to undergo breakthrough stem cell therapy in a bid to regenerate and rebuild his nervous system.Renowned France cardiologist Dr Philippe Menasche, who had operated on him previously, was set to carry out the treatment that would see cells from his heart go to his brain.Following the treatment at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, he was said to be “conscious”, although few other details were given about his state.Michael hasn’t been seen publicly since the crashCredit: Getty More

THE mastermind accused of a blackmail plot against F1 ace Michael Schumacher has been revealed as a family bodyguard, say German cops. Two other men have also been arrested after they are alleged to have threatened to release secret pictures of the injured star if they weren’t given over £12million from his stricken family. A third man has been arrested over a Michael Schumacher blackmail plotCredit: AlamyThe alleged blackmail plot was targeting Schumacher’s family, say German copsCredit: NetflixDoorman Yilmaz T. is said to be one of the three men behind the planThe first two men arrested were a father and son duo accused of trying to plot against the Schumacher family.Yilmaz T., 53, and his son, 30, from Wuppertal, western Germany, face up five years in prison if found guilty of the allegations.A third man involved in the case has now also been arrested.The 52-year-old has been described as the “mastermind” behind the plot, say German cops. read more in SchumacherHe worked as a security guard for the Schumacher family, claim the public prosecutor’s office in Wuppertal.His role is alleged to have been turning private pictures of the family into digital files so they could be transferred to Yilmaz T and his son.  The man was detained on Thursday in Wülfrath as a large number of evidence was also seized from his property. Family employees close to wife Corinna Schumacher were said to have been approached by the trio who claimed to have found a file of secrets on the F1 driver.Most read in MotorsportMichael, who hasn’t been seen or heard from for over a decade after a horror ski crash, has been looked after by his close-knit family since the accident.According to the Wuppertal office, the men said the family wouldn’t want the files to become public due to what they contained.To keep the information private the trio reportedly demanded they were sent millions to keep the information off the dark web.Inside Michael Schumacher’s decade-long recovery from ‘desperately cruel’ ski crash as brother shares devastating updateThe suspects were even alleged to have sent some of the files to the family as proof, said prosecutors in June.Cops were able to track down the extortionists through “technical measures”, it was announced last month.The Schumacher family have been tormented over Michael’s health in the past.In 2016, a 25-year-old man known as Hüseyin B sent a threatening email to Corinna targeting the couple’s children.The mum-of-two quickly passed on the email to the police who swiftly tracked down the painter.After being arrested, the thug was sent to court where a judge sentenced him for a year and nine months behind bars.The perpetrator was reportedly caught after he told Corinna to send him the money to his personal bank account – something the police easily traced back.At the hearing, judge Eberhard Hausch said: “To put it gently, putting your own account number there is not very smart.” In May, the Schumacher family were awarded £170,000 in compensation after a magazine published a fake AI-generated interview with the racing legend.What happened to Michael Schumacher?MICHAEL Schumacher’s life was hanging by a thread 10-years-ago as medics tried desperately to keep him alive after a tragic skiing crash that left him with horrific brain injuries.The F1 legend was given the best possible treatment as he was put into a medically induced coma, had his body temperature lowered and underwent hours of tricky operations on his brain.Back in 2013, the retired seven-time world champion, and his then 14-year-old son set off on the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French resort of Meribel.Footage from his helmet camera revealed he was not travelling at excessive speed when his skis struck a rock hidden beneath the snow.He catapulted forward 11.5ft and crashed into a boulder head first that split his helmet into two and left him needing to be airlifted to hospital for two life-saving operations.At one point his family were told to brace themselves for the worst case scenario as the situation was much worse than originally believed.At the time, medics said Schumacher was likely to stay in an induced coma for at least 48 hours as his body and mind recovered.But the coma ended up lasting 250 days – more than eight months.After he woke up in June 2014, he was discharged from hospital and sent to his home in Lake Geneva to get further treatment.Since then his wife Corinna and his inner circle of friends have expertly avoided almost anything leaking out about his health status.Only small amounts of information have been released including reports that Schumacher was in a wheelchair but can react to things around him.In 2019, it was said that Schumacher was set to undergo breakthrough stem cell therapy in a bid to regenerate and rebuild his nervous system.Renowned France cardiologist Dr Philippe Menasche, who had operated on him previously, was set to carry out the treatment that would see cells from his heart go to his brain.Following the treatment at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, he was said to be “conscious”, although few other details were given about his state.German publication Die Aktuelle claimed to have secured a “world exclusive” with the severely injured Ferrari great last April despite Michael not being seen publicly since his 2013 skiing accident.In a two-page spread, promoted with a picture of Schumacher, it claimed the seven-time F1 champ had said “My life has totally changed”.The sickening bot even spoke about the racing hero’s physical condition, family and future recovery prospects.Another legal battle in 2016 was waged after German magazine Bunte reported the racing legend “could walk”.The court case led to a few small pieces of information being revealed, with Schumacher’s lawyers confirming he still couldn’t walk.Corinna also reportedly led the effort to hide a ghoulish photo of the F1 legend that was reportedly snapped and then smuggled out by a “friend” and offered around to news outlets for a whopping £1million.READ MORE SUN STORIESGerman prosecutors called the disgusting act a “violation of his personal range of life” and breach of privacy.Corinna reportedly demanded the cops take action, but the media outlet refused to reveal its source – and also claimed it never saw any of the images of Schumacher.Michael’s loving wife Corrina has protected his privacy since a horror ski crash over a decade agoCredit: Getty Images – GettyMichael hasn’t been seen publicly since the crashCredit: Getty – Contributor More

A BOUNCER and his son have been accused of trying to blackmail F1 legend Michael Schumacher’s family out of £12million.Yilmaz T., 53, and his son, 30, from Wuppertal, western Germany, face up five years in prison if found guilty of the allegations.Doorman Yilmaz T. is said to be behind the blackmail of Michael Schumacher’s familySchumacher has remained out of the public eye since his horror ski crash more than a decade agoCredit: GettyThe F1 legend stands alongside his wife, CorinnaCredit: RexGerman cops claim the father and son pair planned to extort millions from the Schumacher familyCredit: NetflixThe pair are alleged to have “claimed to employees of the Schumacher family” that they had files the family might not want publishing, the public prosecutor’s office said.They are said to show the former Formula 1 world champion after his skiing accident in 2013, German outlet BILD report, and some were even allegedly sent to the family as proof.The perpetrators then demanded a payment “in the millions” to prevent the files from being published on the darknet.It’s claimed Yilmaz T. had these files for several years, although it remains unclear how they came into his possession.Read more in F1The report adds that he had previously tried to offer the material to two other people several years ago to help him carry out the blackmail, only for them to refuse.At the beginning of June, he decided to involve his son in the heinous crime.But cops were able to track down the extortionists through “technical measures” and arrested them in a discount store parking lot in Groß-Gerau, a town in central German state Hesse, last month.The pair had been on their way to the southern city of Konstanz, where Yilmaz T. is understood to have a second home and a job on nearby Lake Constance.Most read in MotorsportWhile the dad and son duo were being arrested, investigators visited the Grey nightclub, where Yilmaz T. has been a bouncer since at least 2017.Authorities also raided seven other properties, including the doorman’s apartment in Wuppertal.Inside Michael Schumacher’s decade-long recovery from ‘desperately cruel’ ski crash as brother shares devastating updateSenior public prosecutor Wolf-Tilman Baumert told BILD that “technical measures made it possible to determine that the blackmailers were operating from Wuppertal.”An image published by the outlet allegedly shows a police note left on the door of Yilmaz T.’s broken-into apartment.If found guilty of their crimes, the father and son could spend half a decade behind bars.According to BILD, the duo are already on probation for another offence involving incitement to acquire, possess and carry weapons and ammunition.Yilmaz T. had been sentenced to one year and two months in prison but served just two months in pre-trial detention before the remainder of his sentence was suspended.A judge saw a favourable social prognosis for the bouncer, with the court convinced he would lead a crime-free life “even without the influence of the penal system.”That’s in spite of his 18 previous convictions.What happened to Michael Schumacher?MICHAEL Schumacher’s life was hanging by a thread 10-years-ago as medics tried desperately to keep him alive after a tragic skiing crash that left him with horrific brain injuries.The F1 legend was given the best possible treatment as he was put into a medically induced coma, had his body temperature lowered and underwent hours of tricky operations on his brain.Back in 2013, the retired seven-time world champion, and his then 14-year-old son set off on the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French resort of Meribel.Footage from his helmet camera revealed he was not travelling at excessive speed when his skis struck a rock hidden beneath the snow.He catapulted forward 11.5ft and crashed into a boulder head first that split his helmet into two and left him needing to be airlifted to hospital for two life-saving operations.At one point his family were told to brace themselves for the worst case scenario as the situation was much worse than originally believed.At the time, medics said Schumacher was likely to stay in an induced coma for at least 48 hours as his body and mind recovered.But the coma ended up lasting 250 days – more than eight months.After he woke up in June 2014, he was discharged from hospital and sent to his home in Lake Geneva to get further treatment.Since then his wife Corinna and his inner circle of friends have expertly avoided almost anything leaking out about his health status.Only small amounts of information have been released including reports that Schumacher was in a wheelchair but can react to things around him.In 2019, it was said that Schumacher was set to undergo breakthrough stem cell therapy in a bid to regenerate and rebuild his nervous system.Renowned France cardiologist Dr Philippe Menasche, who had operated on him previously, was set to carry out the treatment that would see cells from his heart go to his brain.Following the treatment at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, he was said to be “conscious”, although few other details were given about his state.A well known figure with authorities, Yilmaz T. has been charged with a number of crimes including serious gang theft, assault, threats, fraud and tax evasion.This isn’t the first time Schumacher’s inner circle, headed up by wife Corinna, has been targeted by fiends in the past.In 2016, a 25-year-old man known as Hüseyin B sent a threatening email to Corinna targeting the couple’s children.The mum-of-two quickly passed on the email to the police who swiftly tracked down the painter.After being arrested, the thug was sent to court where a judge sentenced him for a year and nine months behind bars.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe perpetrator was reportedly caught after he told Corinna to send him the money to his personal bank account – something the police easily traced back.At the hearing, judge Eberhard Hausch said: “To put it gently, putting your own account number there is not very smart.” Michael’s wife Corinna has been targeted by blackmailers in the past looking to extort millions from the stricken familyCredit: AFPMichael with his son Mick and daughter Gina-MariaCredit: NetflixSchumacher drivintg the #1 Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro he claimed many F1 titles inCredit: Getty More