Police files show ‘King of Soho’ Raymond trumping blackmailers

The “King of Soho” Paul Raymond turned the tables on a pair of blackmailers in a series of bizarre telephone calls, according to police.

The porn baron convinced the men to collect a £15,000 payment from him immediately, but their conversation was being recorded by the police and the change of plan led to their arrests.

The men, Eden Reid and Douglas White, who were posing as IRA members in search of funds, were eventually convicted on February 2, 1972, of blackmail, receiving jail terms of three years and five years respectively.

They had made various threats, including to kill his ex-wife, to blow up his place and to shoot him.

But Raymond, famous for founding a huge pornographic empire which included magazines such as Mayfair and Men Only, told them he had the money there and then and demanded he have the opportunity to hand it over right away, saying: “You can shoot me if you want to.”

In the third phone conversation recorded by police, and made public in the National Archives last Friday, Raymond answers the phone and complains: “I’ve been waiting since half past six.”

The man, who identifies himself as Mr McGrath, but was thought to be Mr White, says: “I must apologise.”

Raymond says: “You know, if we make a deal let’s make a deal because I’m going away, you don’t understand, I’m drinking here by myself and you are driving me mad.”

The voice replies: “Alright, alright.”

But when Raymond is told to be in his office at 2 p.m. the next day he says: “No, I’m sorry I cannot do this, you see, I think this, you are trying to bluff me... if you want the money I’ve got the money here, now, Mr McGrath.”

The conversation goes back and forth with the blackmailers insisting the delivery is made the next day until Raymond says: “No, I will not do it tomorrow Mr McGrath, I am out of my mind, I’ve got the money now, I am drinking brandy on my own which I have done since half six, I was waiting for you, I’ve cancelled my appointments, I’ve got my work to do, I’ve got the money now, if you want it it’s yours but I cannot stand this, Mr McGrath, you don’t know what you are doing to me, honestly you don’t.”

He continues: “You can stick a bomb wherever you want to. The money I have got, I have got work to do, you can’t understand what you have done to me, I have got the money... I cannot stand another bloody night like this...”

The man says: “We will not blow your place up, we will shoot you.”

But Raymond, knowing the police are listening, says: “Well you can shoot me as well if you want to, you know, but this I cannot stand. I have got the money now, if you don’t want it I am going to put it back in the bank and you can do whatever you want.”

At this point pips sound in the phone box and a coin is inserted.

The voice then relents, saying: “We will send somebody to collect you in the next quarter of an hour and no nonsense.”

But there was “nonsense” planned, and after Mr Reid went to collect the money he was arrested, followed by Mr White.

Raymond died in 2008 at the age of 82, ending his life a virtual recluse in a penthouse behind the Ritz hotel.