Alleged kidnapper tells court model Chloe Ayling wrote her own ransom note

  • 22/02/2018
Alleged kidnapper tells court model Chloe Ayling wrote her own ransom note
Photo credit: CBS News

One of the men accused of kidnapping model Chloe Ayling has made a series of bold claims in court, including that the model helped write her own ransom note.

Ms Ayling, 20, claims she was kidnapped and drugged as part of a plan to sell her as a sex slave after showing up to a fake photo shoot in Milan.

However sceptics say the whole affair was a publicity stunt, pointing to photos of Ms Ayling shopping with her kidnappers as evidence.

One of the alleged kidnappers, Lucasz Herba, 30, has now said Ms Ayling helped write the ransom note and other parts of the kidnap were also fabricated.

Giving evidence at his trial on Friday, Mr Herba said Ms Ayling met with him and planned the kidnapping, knowing it would raise her profile.

Mr Herba says Ms Ayling helped him write the note due to his poor English and also put herself in a bag to leave behind her DNA. 

"She wrote [the ransom notes] with me. My English isn't too good. She collaborated," he said.

"She knew that when all the scandal was over she would earn a lot of money and publicity."

According to Mr Herba, photos of Ms Ayling under the effect of ketamine were staged and she was not injected with the drug during the ordeal.

It's a change from his original story. Initially he told police he was part of a Romanian gang and needed ransom money to pay for treatment for leukaemia.

The Daily Mail reports emails found on Mr Herba's computer show him planning for the crime, including telling his brother what to procure for the kidnapping.

"Buy a big travel bag," he wrote. "You know what you need, therefore it must be great."

Newshub.