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Alleged kidnap of British glamour model Chloe Ayling could be 'a sham', court hears

A British glamour model's claim that she was kidnapped and offered for sale on the dark web could be "a sham", a court has heard.

Chloe Ayling, 20, was allegedly drugged and stuffed into a suitcase after being lured to a fake photo shoot in Milan in July.

Ms Ayling told police she was taken to a remote farmhouse near Turin and held captive for six days, until she was reportedly freed when kidnappers discovered she was a mother.

The captors allegedly threatened to auction her on the internet while trying to extort €300,000 (£270,000) from her agent.

Lukasz Herba, 30, was arrested by Italian police on suspicion of kidnapping for extortion purposes, while his 36-year-old brother, Michal Herba, was held in the West Midlands over his alleged involvement.

The latter appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court to fight extradition on Monday, where his lawyer warned district judge Paul Goldspring there was "a real risk that the entire case is a sham".

George Hepburne Scott said: "The same complainant, it seems, generated publicity from the fact she was nearby the scene of a terrorist attack at the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

"Prior to the release of the complainant, the kidnapper apparently issued a press release to a tabloid newspaper setting out that this lady was being held for auction."

Michal Herba's lawyer also referred to an alleged trip during which Ms Ayling and her captor went shopping for shoes, describing it as a "wholly anomalous feature of a hostage situation".

He said: "It would amount to an abuse of process of the court if there was any evidence to suggest this was a publicity stunt.

"This case has a unique set of anomalies which might lead to the conclusion that the Italian authorities have been duped and that their process has been abused."

Judge Goldspring said that just because the claims about Ms Ayling's alleged kidnapping appeared in the media, it did not mean they were true.

"Some believe it to be a sham," he said. "This material doesn't prove that".

The case continues.