Alleged Blackmailer Gives His Side of the Story
A 26-year-old man from Birmingham has taken the stand to refute allegations that he blackmailed three people out of thousands of pounds. Twaha Kaana, of Ernest Road in Sparkbrook, is on trial at Birmingham Crown Court, where he has pleaded not guilty to three separate counts of blackmail.
The Allegations and the Defence
The court heard that Kaana is accused of pressuring a couple into paying him a total of £7,000 between 2020 and 2021. The prosecution claims he randomly appeared at their flat in Rednal, initially asking for £100 for drinks. However, while giving evidence on Friday, November 7, Kaana presented a different version of events.
He told the jury that after a nearby pub, The Coppice, closed, he and his friends were invited back to the couple's home for an 'afterparty'. Kaana stated that he actually gave the man £30 for drinks, explaining that 'it's the least you can do'. He said he stayed for about 90 minutes before leaving.
Kaana claimed that the man reimbursed him a few days later and that they began seeing each other frequently. According to his testimony, the man confided in him about personal problems, first with his girlfriend and then with a gambling addiction.
'He was like she's controlling and taking over his life,' Kaana told the court. 'He just went on and on how controlling she is. After that he proposed an offer to have money transferred to my bank account so I can give him cash to hide it from (his girlfriend). At the time I honestly didn't think, I was like 'okay'.'
Denials and a Second Allegation
The defendant strongly denied several key accusations from the prosecution. He insisted he never spoke to the man's girlfriend, never threatened either of them, and did not contact them via social media or a Nokia phone that was seized when he was arrested.
Kaana also faces a separate accusation concerning a third person, a man he lived near. He is alleged to have demanded money from this individual to settle his brother's drug debt during a similar timeframe.
In his defence, Kaana accepted that he knew the man and saw him regularly. He told the court that the man's brother was a cocaine addict who had 'got a lot of people that are after him'. Kaana's account was that the man himself requested to transfer money to Kaana's account so that Kaana could give it back to him in cash.
He explained the alleged reason: 'Anyone demanding money from the man would see there was nothing in his account.' Kaana added, 'I said I don't think that's going to make sense but he was adamant that's what he wanted me to do.'
Similarly, for this alleged victim, Kaana denied making any threats or contacting the man on social media.
The trial at Birmingham Crown Court continues as the jury considers the evidence against Twaha Kaana, who maintains his innocence on all three charges of blackmail.
