Two thugs blackmailed an innocent mum into paying them thousands of pounds worth of her ex's drug debt. Christopher Swift, 30 and Sebastian Jones, 35, were met by the woman's young son when they banged on her front door.
The victim managed to get her children upstairs before Swift, who was hired as the "muscle", launched an "aggressive" tirade as he told her: ''I'm from Salford, mate''. She was intimidated into paying the cash for her former partner on October 7 last year, the Manchester Evening News reports.
The pair appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday, March 22, after pleading guilty to blackmail. And boastful Swift was humiliated by the unimpressed Crown Court judge, who told his solicitor: "He is not a gangster."
The court heard Jones, who acted as an "intermediary" to his "associates" remained silent throughout the interaction was tasked with collecting £15,000 after the victim's ex ran up a drug debt. Prosecuting, David Lees said the two men knocked on the victim's door at around 5pm and the woman's 12-year-old son answered.
Knowing why they were there, the victim sent her three kids and father upstairs in what Judge Mark Savill described as a "frightening incident". Swift then threatened her, telling her he had "put the windows through" the wrong house before and didn't want to do the same to hers "because [she has] children".
He also said: "I'm from Salford, mate. I'm not from round here. I'll go to his [her ex-partner's] mother's house and blow her f***ing head off."
Mr Lees told the court the victim was "worried for herself and her family" and scraped together £1,000 of her own money and £2,000 of her father's money and put it through Jones' letter box before reporting the incident to the police.
Defending Swift, Adam Watkins said he had shown "evidence of remorse". In response, Judge Mark Savill said: "I'm sorry to say this, but what was he thinking? We don't live in a lawless society. He is not a gangster."
Mr Watkins said Jones accepted he had "crossed a line" by showing up at the victim's family home. He said his involvement was "short lived" and that there was an "absence of actual violence".
Defending Jones, Keith Harrison said it was "obviously a serious case", but that Jones "said nothing" and "did nothing aggressive during the encounter".
Addressing Mr Swift, the judge said: "You have been in trouble almost all of your life. You have a family. You have a child. You have certain mental health issues. But you can't stay clear of trouble." Swift subsequently received a 27-month prison sentence, while Jones was jailed for 24 months.
Sentencing Jones, Judge Savill said he had been "hardworking" since 2015 and that there was a "real distinction" between the man described by his family and the man that knocked on the victim's door.
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