It is being reported that a sick blackmailer sought to extort €900,000 from the Schumacher family a year ago.
The man, whose identity remains unknown at this stage, threatened to kill the children of stricken F1 legend Michael Schumacher unless paid the demanded amount.
An investigation by German police traced the grisly demand to an individual who has since been handed a suspended jail sentence, a fine of €4,500, 50 hours of community service as well as the obligation to seek psychiatric help.
"If the money doesn't reach us by March 31, 2016, your children will be killed in some way. In Formula 4, many accidents occur," wrote the 25-year-old in a chilling e-mail to Schumacher's wife in February 2016.
Mick Schumacher was indeed competing last year in the F4 series before graduating to European Formula 3.
Police were easily able to trace the blackmailer after he included his bank details in the e-mail to Schumacher's wife Corinna.
"To put it cautiously, giving your own bank account details is not sensible," judge Eberhard Hausch told a court in the city of Reutlingen.
The convicted man's lawyer said his client "can't until this day explain why" he acted as he did.
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