Michael Schumacher’s wife ‘shocked’ over ‘lenient’ prison sentence in £12m blackmail trial

Michael Schumacher’s wife Corinna says she is ‘still shocked’ by the betrayal from her family’s former security guard (Getty) Michael Schumacher’s wife, Corinna, has demanded a tougher sentence for her family’s former security guard who was involved in a blackmail plot which threatened to release private photos and videos showing the F1 icon’s condition. Schumacher, 56, suffered severe head injuries in skiing accident in the French Alps in December 2013. The seven-time Formula One world champion, who was hospitalised for nine months after the accident, has not been seen in public since, while his medical condition has been kept private. Last week, a German court found three men guilty of trying to extort €15 million (£12.4m) from Schumacher’s family. The alleged leader of the blackmail plot, Yilmaz T, 53, was sentenced to three years in prison for threatening to upload 900 personal photos, almost 600 videos and confidential medical records. His son, Daniel L, 30, was given a six-month suspended prison sentence for aiding and abetting extortion. Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public since his skiing accident in 2013 (Getty) Markus F, an ex-security guard who worked for the Schumacher family at their residence in Switzerland 18 months before the skiing accident, received a two-year suspended sentence. He was accused of selling the images to the two blackmailers for a five-figure sum. Michael Schumacher’s son, Mick, with Corinna Schumacher in June 2024. (Getty) Lawyers for the Schumacher family have now launched an appeal calling for a harsher sentence for Markus F for his role in the blackmail plot. ‘We have appealed against what we consider to be the far too lenient sentence for Mr F,’ Corinna said in a statement. ‘In my opinion, he was the mastermind behind this. What still shocks me most is the massive breach of trust. ‘He should receive a punishment that deters any potential copycats.’ The family’s lawyer, Thilo Damm, said: ‘We do not agree with everything the court said. You can rest assured that we will exhaust all legal possibilities at our disposal. ‘We don’t know where the missing hard drive is. I don’t have a crystal ball, but there is the possibility of another threat through the backdoor.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Feb 18, 2025 - 11:23
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Michael Schumacher’s wife ‘shocked’ over ‘lenient’ prison sentence in £12m blackmail trial
Michael Schumacher’s wife Corinna says she is ‘still shocked’ by the betrayal from her family’s former security guard (Getty)

Michael Schumacher’s wife, Corinna, has demanded a tougher sentence for her family’s former security guard who was involved in a blackmail plot which threatened to release private photos and videos showing the F1 icon’s condition.

Schumacher, 56, suffered severe head injuries in skiing accident in the French Alps in December 2013.

The seven-time Formula One world champion, who was hospitalised for nine months after the accident, has not been seen in public since, while his medical condition has been kept private.

Last week, a German court found three men guilty of trying to extort €15 million (£12.4m) from Schumacher’s family.

The alleged leader of the blackmail plot, Yilmaz T, 53, was sentenced to three years in prison for threatening to upload 900 personal photos, almost 600 videos and confidential medical records.

His son, Daniel L, 30, was given a six-month suspended prison sentence for aiding and abetting extortion.

Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public since his skiing accident in 2013 (Getty)

Markus F, an ex-security guard who worked for the Schumacher family at their residence in Switzerland 18 months before the skiing accident, received a two-year suspended sentence.

He was accused of selling the images to the two blackmailers for a five-figure sum.

Michael Schumacher’s son, Mick, with Corinna Schumacher in June 2024. (Getty)

Lawyers for the Schumacher family have now launched an appeal calling for a harsher sentence for Markus F for his role in the blackmail plot.

‘We have appealed against what we consider to be the far too lenient sentence for Mr F,’ Corinna said in a statement.

‘In my opinion, he was the mastermind behind this. What still shocks me most is the massive breach of trust.

‘He should receive a punishment that deters any potential copycats.’

The family’s lawyer, Thilo Damm, said: ‘We do not agree with everything the court said. You can rest assured that we will exhaust all legal possibilities at our disposal.

‘We don’t know where the missing hard drive is. I don’t have a crystal ball, but there is the possibility of another threat through the backdoor.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.