An immigration judge told a blackmail trial at the Old Bailey today how he started an affair with his "chilli hot" Brazilian cleaner who was working in Britain illegally.

Roselane Driza, 37, threatened to send two stolen videos of the judge, identified only by the initial I, having intimate relations with two other women, to his superiors when he asked her to move out of his flat, the court heard.

She was first introduced to I by his former lover, another judge, know as J. The two judges were colleagues at the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal and lived together between 1995 and 2000.

When J sacked the cleaner, I thought it "prudent" to end Ms Driza’s employment with him as well. But later judge and cleaner became lovers and she moved into his flat - later refusing to leave, the court was told.

Ms Driza has denied blackmailing both J and I and the theft of the videos during 2005.

Judge I said after he ended her employment, Ms Driza turned up at his flat. Their meeting had been "amicable and friendly. We had made a coffee and she left saying the words to the effect ‘see you again’."

A week or two later she came round again. "It became clear she wanted to pursue J for what she claimed to be compensation for unfair dismissal. I started seeing her socially," said Judge I.

Asked by David Markham, QC, whether socially became "intimately as well?" the judge replied: "Yes it did. She stayed at my place. I did not tell J about the relationship at that stage."

But around Christmas in 2004 J had called on him one evening and found him in bed with Ms Driza, it was said.

When he saw J the next day - "she was pretty appalled that I had lied to her. Although we were not living together we were still good friends. The defendant continued to live with me for some time, but eventually I persuaded her to leave the flat. J and I were really good friends and I did not want to jeopardise that."

With a great deal of effort he persuaded her to leave. She had a key to the flat but judge I had the locks changed after she left.

But one evening she returned. "There was a knock on the door. It was her. I let her in. I let her sleep in the spare room. I expected her to go the next day."

But instead she stayed for months against his wishes, said the judge. When he made it clear he did not want her there, he claimed she told him she would not go and if he tried to do anything she would tell the Lord Chancellor that she had been illegally employed by J and himself.

She claimed she had been to the House of Commons and posted letters to the Prime Minister, Home Secretary and others and that she had a contract with a newspaper prepared to pay her £20,000 for her story.

Judge I said J was angry and depressed about Ms Driza's threats, although she did not owe her former cleaner any money and had no reason to fear anything.

Ms Driza was staying at his flat rent free, said the judge. He paid all the bills and did most of the shopping.

In July last year, judge I went on a two-week holiday with judge J to Canada. Ms Driza was still there when they returned and she told Judge I that she had videos of him having sex with other women, the court heard.

Judge I told the court there were two videos containing similar types of material - intimate relations between him and two separate women.

"I told her I wanted the videos. She said she had taken them and that ‘they are my defence.’"

She said she had wrapped them and left them with a friend with instructions what to do with them if anything happened to her, according to judge I. He said the videos had never been returned.

Ms Driza was arrested on October 25, 2005, while still at his flat.

Asked by Frances Oldham QC, defending, why he was still sleeping with her in 2005, I replied: "For the reason I told you - because of the threats she made against me. I did not want her to pursue them."

Judge I sent two passionate emails to Ms Driza during their affair, describing her as "real chilli hot stuff".

He wrote: "Darling you will probably get this tomorrow after we have spent an evening in passionate kisses. I was right about wanting to go with you when I first saw you. You must admit you were a bit cool. You are real chilli hot stuff. I love you very much."

The case continues.

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