Tycoon threatened ex and told her to abort baby

A multi-millionaire tycoon threatened his pregnant ex-girlfriend and told her to abort their baby.
Mark Emlick admitted charges at Perth Sheriff Court.  Picture: Ian RutherfordMark Emlick admitted charges at Perth Sheriff Court.  Picture: Ian Rutherford
Mark Emlick admitted charges at Perth Sheriff Court. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Mark Emlick, 52, stormed round to confront Jaime Duffin’s mother over allegations that her daughter had duped him out of tens of thousands of pounds in cash.

When he found Miss Duffin, 37, present he flew into a rage and made threats to her before telling her she should terminate their unborn child.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

At Perth Sheriff Court, Emlick, Sunbury Street, Edinburgh, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards Miss Duffin in Kinross on 8 February last year.

He admitted causing fear or alarm by threatening her and attempting to persuade her to have an abortion, and threatening to make her life a misery.

Fiscal depute Carol Whyte told the court the couple had previously been in a relationship for a year after meeting when Miss Duffin worked for the wealthy businessman.

“The relationship ended in November 2013 following a dispute over her pregnancy,” Ms Whyte said. She said Emlick turned up at her parents’ home while she was there.

“He began to rant at the complainer, saying he despised her. Mention was made of money and he was saying things like ‘you have ruined my life this last ten months. But I’ll tell you this - you’re finished and I’ll make sure you’re finished. I’ll make it my lifelong mission to ruin you and make every minute of every day a misery.’

“He continued to rant about the baby,” the court was told. “He was referring to it as a problem that he would take care of and he told the complainer to be at his office at 9am to discuss ‘the problem’.

“There is not any more detail other than that the accused didn’t wish her to continue with the pregnancy. He tried to persuade her to have a termination.

“The complainer was described by her parents as being terrified by the accused’s actions. They found him to be threatening, intimidating and aggressive.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Solicitor Ramsay Hall, defending, said: “The background is important to understanding the context. The day before he had learned that the complainer had induced him, over a period of time, to provide her with a substantial amount of money - tens of thousands of pounds.

“She had also led him to believe her life was in danger. Mr Emlick subsequently found out all of that was incorrect. He travelled to her mother’s house to speak to her about her daughter’s conduct.

“He did not know she was going to be at the house. He was caught off-guard and reacted in the heat of the moment. He was in a state of distress at the time.

“He accepts what he said about the pregnancy was entirely unacceptable and he regrets what he said. It was an error of judgment. It is something entirely out of character for him.

“This incident has caused him significant stress and has impacted on his personal and professional life. He has asked me to apologise to the court for his conduct.

“He accepts it was wrong. He is genuinely remorseful. He accepts responsibility for his actions and wishes to move on from this incident. He is a businessman and would be in a position to pay any fine in 28 days.”

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said: “I am prepared to accept there was some background and that gives a degree of explanation for your behaviour.

“Nonetheless, your behaviour was most unpleasant and has to be taken in context of the ins and outs of your relationship with the complainer. At the time she was four or five months pregnant.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Emlick, who previously had the case put off after the court was told his stress made him too “sweaty and nervous” to sit in public, was fined £700. He left court without comment.

The tycoon had previously been banned from entering Dunfermline in Fife or approaching Miss Duffin as conditions of bail imposed after his original arrest.

According to his own web profile, property investor Emlick “has accrued over 25 years worth of experience in both private and corporate financial advisory sectors, in addition to property portfolio acquisition and management.”

He set up Edinburgh-based Dunedin Independent plc and helped the company become one of the country’s largest private financial advisory firms with over 350 million pounds under management.

It is understood he sold that firm to a Zurich-based company in 2010 for a sum in the region of four million pounds.

He then helped to found Consensus Capital plc, where he is currently listed as the CEO, and was co-founder and Chairman of Strategic Investment Management Ltd.

Consensus Capital plc was launched in 2010 and is a specialist real estate and private equity and asset management company.

The company currently boasts that it is managing a combined real estate and private equity portfolio in excess £200 million.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The company announced in 2013 that it was launching a 50 million pounds fund to convert offices into social housing.

The Edinburgh-based investment firm, launched by Emlick in 2010, is aiming to work on 25 developments over the next two years, providing about 1,200 homes.

Related topics: