Peter Francis-Macrae

Peter "Weaselboy" Francis-Macrae (born 1982) is an English spammer found guilty of two counts of fraudulent trading, one of concealing criminal property, two of making threats to kill, one charge of threatening to destroy or damage property and one count of blackmail. He was running his own internet business from his father's home in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, most recent accounts filed at Companies House showed his business had a turnover of £49,000.

Macrae had offered thousands of e-mail and website names when he had no right to do so. When Nominet warned him about his activities, he threatened to attack their servers. He was accused of his activities in 2004, and on November 16, 2005 it was announced in the press that Macrae had been sentenced to jail for six years.

In February 2006 he was found guilty of threatening to kill police officers and blow up the Cambridgeshire force's headquarters in a letter to his solicitor from his prison cell. Judge Nicholas Coleman said: "I am deeply concerned about what this man claims he is going to do on his release."

He ordered Francis-Macrae undergo psychiatric reports before sentencing.

In June 2006 he was given an additional 12 months sentence for making threats against the police,and made subject to an ASBO.

In October 2006, Peterborough Crown Court was told that the Crown Prosecution Service is attempting to seek out and confiscate more than £1 million. Francis-Macrae disrupted the hearing by screaming “I’m innocent”, “this is a sham,” and “al-Qaeda”, repeatedly as loud as he could. [http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=845&ArticleID=1823248]

In February 2008 he was ordered to pay back £562,000 or face an additional 3 years in jail. Police had traced a Harrods Safe deposit box belonging to him, but all it contained was ten pounds and a mocking handwritten note. [http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Net-fraudster-must-pay-back.3809192.jp]

References and external links

* BBC News, Nov 16 2005, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/4442772.stm "Spammer jailed for £1.6m net scam"]
* Slashdot, Nov 17 2005, [http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/17/1647229&tid=111&tid=123 "British Spammer Gets 6 Years"]
* ZDNet, Nov 17 2005, [http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39237311,00.htm "UK spammer jailed over £1.6m scam"]
* Peterborough Crown Court. Oct 23, 2006, [http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=845&ArticleID=1823248 Spammer jailed for six years back in court to seek £1Mil in hidden gains.]

ee Also

*List of spammers