Michael Schumacher's former bodyguard gets suspended sentence for blackmail (3 photos)
Michael Schumacher's 53-year-old former bodyguard Markus Fritsche, nightclub security guard Yilmaz Tozturkan and his 30-year-old son Daniel Lins, an IT specialist, demanded 15 million euros from the Formula 1 star's family. The attackers stole materials from the racing driver's computer and threatened to publish information about his health. 
The accomplices seized 1,500 images and videos of Michael, who has not appeared in public since a serious injury at a ski resort in 2013.
On February 12, the extortionists appeared in court. Lins, 30, received a suspended sentence of six months, and Tozturkan, who is already serving a sentence for another crime unrelated to the case in question, must spend another three years in prison. Fritsche managed to avoid prison time and was sentenced to two years probation. 
Tozturkan denies blackmailing the Schumacher family, saying he simply offered them a "business deal." However, he acknowledged that he regretted his actions.
"I am deeply sorry and ashamed of what I did," he told the court before his sentencing. "It was a terrible act. I fully accept my responsibility for what happened." 
Schumacher's family intends to appeal the "lenient" sentence.
Thilo Damm, the lawyer for the injured party, said: "We do not agree with the court's decision. Rest assured that we will make every effort to use all available legal means to protect our interests. We do not know where the missing hard drive is, so there is a possibility of a new threat."
