A woman has appeared in court accused of blackmail and fraud. Jessica Mellen, 34, of Lodge Road, Caerleon, Newport, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday morning where she pleaded not guilty to three charges she faces. The charges concern two counts of fraud and a count of blackmail, alleged to have taken place between 2022 and 2025.
At the brief hearing in court on Monday, Mellen, wearing a dark suit, spoke from the dock only to confirm her name and address and to enter her pleas before her case was adjourned for trial next year by Judge Lucy Crowther.
Details of the Charges
The first count, fraud by false representation, is alleged to have taken place between February 1, 2022, and May 2, 2025, when she is accused of offering to make payments for the sale of a television. The second offence, fraud, is alleged to have taken place between February 1, 2022, and May 2, 2025, when she is accused of offering to make repayments of various loans.
The final count, blackmail, is alleged to have taken place between May 1, 2024, and May 2, 2025, when Mellen is accused of making unwarranted demands for payment of money with menaces. The defendant has denied each of the offences.
Court Proceedings
Prosecutor Christian Jowett asked for the matter to be set out for trial. Judge Lucy Crowther remanded Mellen on unconditional bail to appear for trial on July 5, 2027. The victim of the case cannot be named due to a reporting restriction made under section 45 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.
