Court hears ex-RBS employee’s staff stab threat

A FORMER recruitment boss warned RBS chairman Sir Philip Hampton “not to go home this weekend” unless she received £750,000 she thought she was owed, a court heard.
A former RBS recruitment boss is accused of threatening chairman Sir Philip Hampton over money she claims she was owed. Picture: GettyA former RBS recruitment boss is accused of threatening chairman Sir Philip Hampton over money she claims she was owed. Picture: Getty
A former RBS recruitment boss is accused of threatening chairman Sir Philip Hampton over money she claims she was owed. Picture: Getty

Ruby Cooper, 53, bombarded the banking chief with e-mails and phone calls before getting RBS chief executive officer Ross McEwan and police chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe involved.

She also told Sir Philip’s personal assistants that a member of staff would be stabbed if she did not get her money, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard today.

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Cooper told the banking bosses to stop being “low-life, thieving scum” and pay up.

She was previously found guilty of breaching a restraining order imposed on her after she threatened to poison former RBS chief executive Stephen Hester in 2012. She was warned not to contact any director or former director of RBS.

Jurors heard that, after just a week, Cooper started e-mailing Sir Philip, asking for her money and for the 19-year-old matter to be resolved.

Initially, Cooper was told by RBS staff she was in breach of her restraining order and should direct her complaints elsewhere but things came to a head in January of this year when the messages became abusive.

Prosecutor Warwick Tatford said: “She was prohibited from contacting any member of staff at RBS. The trouble is, she did it again and again and again.

“In one call to [employee] Fiona Macdonald, she will tell you Cooper said she was going to stab a member of staff if they did not send her the cheque.

“In a second call, which may have been hot air, she said: ‘Sir Philip Hampton should not stay in his house this weekend as things will be happening to him’.”

The calls on 17 January this year prompted RBS staff to finally call the police.

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In an earlier e-mail to Mr McEwan and Met Commissioner Sir Bernard on 15 January, Cooper said: “Please ensure my cheque arrives by 17 January and please do not put me through any more stress as you have destroyed 19 years of my life.

“You have cost me £2 million but I am willing to accept just £750,000 by next week.

“If you continue to harass me and I flip and you end up with a corporate manslaughter situation then you will have only Natwest and RBS to blame.”

On 16 January, she again e-mailed the bank asking for her cheque to be sent by courier before informing Mr McEwan that all the proof he needed to clear the cheque could be found on her website natweststalker.com. Natwest is part of the RBS group.

The e-mail continued: “Stop acting like low-life thieving scum – if you pay yourself such big bonuses then you can pay mine by next week. Do not hold me responsible for retaliation.”

Mr Tatford added: “She later said: ‘Any further arrogance and mischief-making will result in a backlash that you will not like’.”

Cooper, of north London, denies acting in breach of a restraining order.

The trial continues.