A PERSONAL trainer demanded £10 million from a wealthy retired businessman after threatening to reveal his history of degrading sexual acts, a jury has heard.

Jennifer Mbazira, 50, accused the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, of making her perform degrading sexual acts.

She threatened to tell his family, friends and business associates if he did not give her £10 million.

Mbazira, who is defending herself, claims she was mistreated by the businessman during a two-and-a-half-year relationship after meeting him through The Times online dating service Encounters.

He used the name Distinguished after setting up an account in 2011.

The Argus: Jennifer Mbazira, 50, accused the man - who cannot be named for legal reasons - of making her perform degrading sexual acts.Jennifer Mbazira, 50, accused the man - who cannot be named for legal reasons - of making her perform degrading sexual acts.

Mbazira started exchanging messages with Distinguished in 2015, Portsmouth Crown Court heard today.

She accused the businessman of breaking financial promises.

In one WhatsApp message sent after the couple split for the final time, she wrote: “Dating you cost me a lot of money. Dresses, waxing nails, hair, train tickets.

“Your tone is unacceptable.

“You used me.”

The businessman sent Mbazira £2,000 to help her set up an import business selling baskets from Morocco on the condition she did not ask him again.

Months later, she sent an email demanding £10 million or she would reveal their sexual history to his family, friends and business associates.

The businessman who is giving evidence from behind a screen said: “I remember waking up in the morning and seeing this email.

“I was just absolutely horrified. It hit me very hard. I couldn’t read it.

“My heart was pounding and it was just the most awful moment.

“It was simply ghastly. It’s pages and pages of stuff.

“This is something I didn’t recognise. It bore no relationship to our relationship, which was respectful and kind.

“These accusations about pervasive sexual acts - what is all this?

“it just doesn’t make sense. I wasn’t cross, I was extremely upset, I was very sad.

“It made me feel awful, to be honest.

“To be accused of all these things, it was something I just did not recognise at all.”

Orlando Gibbons, prosecuting, told the jury Mbazira made an unwarranted demand of £10 million from the businessman in 2019 in order to make financial gain for herself and to deprive the businessman of his money and reputation.

"It was accompanied by threats," Mr Gibbons said.

"I will expose our financial arrangements to your friends family and business associates.

"Unless you do so, this is what will happen to you," he told the jury.

Mbazira, who was arrested in London on February 4, 2019, denies blackmail.

The trial continues.