Mother of murdered Briton condemns cash talks

LONDON, Sep 30 (Reuters) A wealthy Japanese businessman, accused of killing a British woman, sent thousands of pounds ''condolence money'' to her family, Kyodo news agency reported today.

But the mother of murdered British woman Lucie Blackman turned down an offer of 200,000 pounds and accused her ex-husband of ''betrayal'' for allegedly negotiating the condolence payment.

Jane Steare told Reuters Tim Blackman, her ex-husband and Lucie's father, was negotiating against her wishes.

Japan's Kyodo news agency said Joji Obara, charged with killing Blackman in 2000, had sent 100 million yen of ''condolence money'' to her family in Britain, in a report quoting the wealthy businessman's lawyers.

The lawyers were not immediately available for comment.

''I have rejected all and any payments from the accused, as have my daughter, Sophie, and my son, Rupert,'' she said.

She said she had been told by London's Metropolitan Police that Blackman had gone to Tokyo to negotiate payment on his own account with the defence lawyers.

''He is conducting these negotiations against my wishes and the pleas of his children. Lucie's loyal family and friends are sickened by Tim Blackman's utter betrayal.'' Steare separated from Blackman in 1995 and has since remarried.

A millionaire property developer, Obara, 54, is accused of drugging, raping and killing Lucie Blackman, a former British Airways flight attendant, who was 21 when she died.

He has denied all the charges.

Blackman, who had been working at a hostess bar in Tokyo's Roppongi entertainment district, vanished after saying she was going for a drive with a man on July 1, 2000.

REUTERS SHB RK1850