Ultra Tune boss Sean Buckley has launched a private prosecution against his model former partner, alleging she demanded huge sums of money in five blackmail attempts.
Five counts of blackmail were formally filed with the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court against Jennifer Cruz Cole on Monday, with Mr Buckley’s solicitor Martin Amad serving as the prosecutor for the case.
Ms Cole, a former Ultra Tune “rubber girl” model and the mother of Mr Buckley’s child, attended court in person after she was served with the charges on April 12.
She was not required to enter pleas.
According to charge sheets, Mr Buckley alleges Ms Cole made “unwarranted demands with menaces” on five occasions between October 2019 and December 2020.
The name of the alleged male victim was redacted from the charge sheets by the court.
The first charge alleges Ms Cole threatened to damage the reputation of the unnamed man on A Current Affair in October 2019 unless she was paid $10m.
Another charge alleges in late 2020 Ms Cole demanded $16m or an engagement for her not to publicly release “reputationally damaging” audio recordings of the unnamed man.
A private prosecution allows ordinary citizens to bring criminal charges before the court, rather than authorities like Victoria Police or the Office of Public Prosecutions.
The court was told that due to the seriousness of the charges the matter was destined for the County Court. This, however, would require the Director of Public Prosecutions to step in and sign the indictment.
During the hearing, Ms Cole’s barrister David Hancock sought an interim gag order barring media from temporarily reporting details of the case, but magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said he did not believe it would be appropriate.
Mr Buckley is the executive chairman of Ultra Tune – a car service and roadside assistance company with stores nationwide.
Ms Cole and Mr Buckley, who dated between 2017 and 2020, have been at the centre of several legal battles in the years since their relationship ended acrimoniously.
Mr Buckley and Ultra Tune have an ongoing legal case in the Supreme Court against Ms Cole over the alleged sharing of a recorded interaction between the pair in a Crown hotel room in January 2020.
Allegations Mr Buckley stalked, secretly recorded and assaulted Ms Cole in 2020 were tossed out of the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in August last year, four years after charges were first laid.
His lawyers had earlier said they would allege Ms Cole had “set up” Mr Buckley.
Outside court, Mr Amad said his client had made the decision to bring a private prosecution because it was his right to do so.
Mr Hancock said he would not be commenting on the case at this stage.
It will return to court on August 10.