Millionaire's daughter had 'intimate relationship' with drug dealer, court hears
2:16pm Tuesday 20th March 2012 in Where I Live By Rachel Conner
Laura Johnson
A MILLIONAIRE'S daughter who is alleged to have driven looters around during last summer's riots was having a relationship with one of the men in her car, a court has heard.
Inner London Crown Court heard Laura Johnson, 20, had been having a fling with a man called Sylar, who had recently come out of prison.
The former Newstead Wood and St Olave's pupil denies burgling electrical items, alcohol and cigarettes during the disturbances on the night of August 8 and early hours of August 9.
A friend of Johnson, Charlie Fryett told jurors Johnson had been seeing a man called Emmanuel, also known as Sylar.
Yesterday prosecutor Sandy Canavan said Johnson claimed she did not know the men in the car and had told police a man called 'T man' had made her drive by threatening her and pressing his thumb into her throat.
Ms Canavan added that Johnson had said "Sylar and T man are one and the same individual."
Charlie Fryett, who introduced Johnson to Sylar, said she had never known him as T man.
She told the court Johnson had been growing closer to Sylar in the weeks before the riots.
She said: "They used to meet up and sit in the car together. Laura said they had kissed and stuff.
"I felt she was flirting with him. She came across as easy."
She added she had known Sylar had recently come out of prison but did not know why.
Martin McCarthy, defending Johnson, said he had been in prison for possession of crack cocaine and intention to supply.
Johnson, who lives with her parents in Sheepcote Lane, Orpington, was arrested outside a Charlton industrial estate in the early hours of August 9.
Electrical items, including televisions, and cigarettes and alcohol, were found in her car.
She denies three charges of burglary and three charges of handling stolen goods.
A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is also on trial charged with two counts of burglary and two charges of handling stolen goods.
The trial continues.
