Woman sent ‘poison’ to RBS chief Stephen Hester

A FORMER recruitment boss threatened to release the address of RBS chief executive Stephen Hester’s children in a bid to force him to admit she was framed by the bank, a court heard yesterday.

Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Stephen Hester. Picture: AFP

Ruby Cooper, 52, also sent e-mails to Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, accusing the force of conspiring with the bank to bring false charges against her, it was said.

She was arrested last year on suspicion of sending a letter addressed to Mr Hester containing a vial of a substance purporting to be poison.

Cooper denied sending the letter and was never charged, but after her arrest she sent an e-mail to the chief executive threatening to “flush him out”.

The e-mail also threatened to reveal the address of his “children, wife and new wife” unless he met her to discuss her accusations.

Cooper is representing herself at Snaresbrook Crown Court, accused of breaching a restraining order made in 2000 preventing her from contacting any employees of RBS or the Metropolitan Police.

She admitted sending the e-mails on 24 October and

5 November last year, but claims they were justified because of a “massive miscarriage of justice” against her.

The first e-mails were sent when a blackmail charge was dropped against her at Blackfriars Crown Court on 24 October last year.

In an e-mail to Sir Bernard, she accused him of leaving her with post-traumatic stress disorder by bringing the “false prosecution” and said his force had ignored an 18-year miscarriage of justice against her. On the same day, Cooper e-mailed Mr Hester demanding he meet her and talk about her concerns

A fortnight later, she was questioned after a letter containing a vial was sent to Mr Hester.

“A letter was received by Stephen Hester, or by someone close to him, and it had a vial of something which the letter said was poison,” said prosecutor Simon Blackford .

“She said she categorically denied sending it to him, she was not prosecuted for that, she stands innocent of anything to do with it, but she was arrested in relation to it and interviewed about it.

“During the course of the investigation, she sent this e-mail to him.”

The jury was read the e-mail, which said: “I intend to flush you out Mr Hester, as I believe it is you behind this. You tried repeatedly to have me framed and fitted up over the past few years.

“There are two options: either you fabricated the letter or there is a nutter out there who may attack a member of your staff.

“I intend to publish the address of where that person can find your children and your wife and your new wife on 19 November. If you have something to fear you will resolve this with me pronto.

“If you were behind this, you will not settle this case with me, so by November 19 I will know.”

Cooper, who obtained a psychology degree at Stirling University, has been fighting an online campaign against the bankrelating to grievances dating back to the 1990s.

The accused, from Barnet, London, denies three counts of acting in breach of a restraining order.

The case continues.