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Reality TV star accused of extorting cash

Cheryl GoodenoughAAP
Closing arguments have been heard in the trial of ex-Block contestant Suzi Taylor and Ali Ebrahimi.
Camera IconClosing arguments have been heard in the trial of ex-Block contestant Suzi Taylor and Ali Ebrahimi. Credit: AAP

Former reality TV star and Penthouse covergirl Suzi Taylor and an alleged accomplice wanted money from a sex client who refused to pay, but didn't want to seriously hurt him, a court has been told.

Taylor and her co-accused and alleged "enforcer" Ali Ebrahimi are accused of extortion, deprivation of liberty, fraud and assault over the alleged incident at an apartment in an inner-city Brisbane suburb in the early hours of October 30, 2019.

The 50-year-old former Block contestant, whose real name is Suellen Jan Taylor, was posing as an escort called Katie when she agreed to meet David Butler through raunchy website Scarlet Blue, the Brisbane District Court trial has heard.

But the meeting allegedly ended with Mr Butler tied up and held against his will, alleged offences that were about "the enforcement of a debt", with Ebrahimi her enforcer, prosecutor Ben Jackson said in his closing statement on Tuesday.

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Taylor and Mr Butler met up after agreeing to a payment of $250 for half an hour of Katie's time. He arrived at the New Farm apartment with a bottle of champagne and red wine.

They first relaxed over drinks, but when the 30 minutes became an hour, then two, Taylor started getting text messages from Ebrahimi saying: "Get paid if you haven't."

Mr Butler claimed Taylor invited him into her bedroom, kissed him and took off her shirt before saying: "If you want this to continue and go any further, you have to give me some money."

It was when he refused to pay that Ebrahimi allegedly stormed into the bedroom, grabbed Mr Butler by the throat and started to hit him.

"When I started resisting, he starting punching and kicking me," Mr Butler told the court.

"He grabbed a cord and started to tie me up."

The court heard Ebrahimi allegedly withdrew money from a nearby automatic teller machine using Mr Butler's bank card.

But Mr Butler admitted to the court he had lied to police and the court.

Mr Jackson told the jury on Tuesday Mr Butler was "simply unwilling to be upfront and forthcoming that he went to pay for an escort service" because he was embarrassed and ashamed.

"He didn't tell the truth, but what's important is what did he lie about," Mr Jackson added.

He said Mr Butler's evidence should be scrutinised, but accepted because it was supported in many ways.

It was also "totally dishonest" to tie someone up to access money in their bank account, Mr Jackson told the jury.

Ebrahimi - who started to represent himself on the fourth day of the trial - asked whether it was ever excusable to lie to police.

He called on the jury to consider its verdict carefully because "injustice can be devastating to families".

Defence barrister James Benjamin said Taylor is a figure of public interest, but jurors must ignore anything they think about her, or had seen and heard.

He also said the court was one of law, not morals or public opinion.

Mr Benjamin told the jurors the prosecution's case "rises and falls on the credibility" of Mr Butler who admitted he had lied in court.

Mr Benjamin is expected to continue his closing argument on Wednesday before Judge Suzanne Sheridan sums up and the jury retires to deliberate..

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