Jimmy Choo tycoon 'investigated by private eye'

The former husband of Tamara Mellon, co-founder of the Jimmy Choo shoe brand, employed a computer hacking specialist to snoop on his wife's confidential emails, a court has heard.

American-born Matthew Mellon, heir to a £4bn banking fortune, is accused of hiring a private investigation firm run by a serving Metropolitan Police officer during the couple's bitter divorce struggle.

Southwark Crown Court was told yesterday how the 37-year-old former "It Girl" who founded the £200m fashion business in 1996, was sent emails purporting to contain details of her husband's activities. What they really held was a "Trojan device" that, once opened, was able to spy on her computer, recording "every keystroke" that she made, it was claimed. The Trojan was able to crack secret passwords, allowing the company access to private emails and bank accounts.

The court heard that Mr Mellon, 43, of Belgravia, central London, approached Active Investigation Services (AIS), a City-based company specialising in phone taps and surveillance, after becoming frustrated during divorce proceedings. The couple, one of the most glamorous on the London party circuit, married in 2000 at a ceremony in Blenheim Palace. But by 2004, relations had soured, explained Miranda Moore, for the prosecution. "He [Mellon] employed the services of AIS to snoop on his then wife, Tamara, during their divorce because he wanted information he was not getting through the court process. But it was not by tapping into her telephone, it was by hacking or trying to hack into her emails to see what was going on.

Emails were sent to the then Mrs Mellon which "purported to show what her husband was up to", she said. "And, of course, she was interested in that. She would open that email, particularly if you were going through an acrimonious divorce."

Jurors heard how the company's co-founder Jeremy Young, 39, a serving police officer from Barkingside, Essex, who was on long-term sick leave, had earlier pleaded guilty to a string of conspiracy charges. It was alleged that the company, which boasted "more than 40 years of top police expertise," made hundreds of thousands of pounds by offering illicit services to well-heeled clients in 1999-2004.

Police eventually launched an undercover surveillance operation, codename Barbatus, to monitor the activities of AIS. This led to the arrest of 30 people.

Mr Mellon denies conspiring to cause unauthorised modification of computer material. He was appearing in court alongside the AIS boss, Scott Gelsthorpe, 32, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, an AIS employee, David Carroll, 59, of north London and his son, Daniel, 37, a computer expert, of Westminster. Another customer, Maurice Kennedy, 58, also of north London, is accused of using the detective agency's illegal sidelines. They also deny the charges.

The case, which is expected to last for two months, continues.