A SOLICITOR conspired with a Merseyside millionaire to blackmail his business partner out of nearly £600,000, a court has heard.

Liverpool property tycoon Gerard Reid Snr was jailed in 2007 for keeping his former associate hostage for five days while threatening to kill him.

The entrepreneur, who owned £3m worth of property, was found guilty by jurors of beating the Sri Lankan man and forcing him to sign documents to hand over £577,200.

And now solicitor Selvanayagan Sathananthan, 50, is also in the dock accused of helping Reid blackmail his victim.

Prosecutors allege Sathananthan knew the man was being forced to hand over the cash against his will and carried out the paperwork for Reid.

Sathananthan, of Hollybush Hill, London, denies conspiracy to blackmail and perjury.

But David Steer, QC, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court jurors: “It was an important part of the conspiracy to blackmail that Mr Sathananthan was involved, because that would give the whole dodgy business the false air of respectability.”

Mr Steer described how Reid became friends with his victim after meeting in the Maldives. In 2003, he persuaded the barman to go into business together to build a 15-bed hotel and houses in Sri Lanka. But, in 2006, Reid pulled out of the business venture. Later that year, he lured the Sri Lankan to Merseyside, by inviting him to his sister’s funeral. After the wake, Mr Steer said Reid’s mood changed, he armed himself with a knife and attacked the victim.