Two thugs blackmailed an innocent mum into giving them thousands of pounds to pay off some of her ex's drug debt - with one of them telling her: "I'm from Salford, mate." Christopher Swift, 30, and Sebastian Jones, 35, were met by the victim's young son when they banged on her front door.
She was intimidated into paying cash towards her former partner's drug debt on October 7 last year. The victim managed to get her children upstairs before Swift launched into an 'aggressive' tirade.
He told her: "I'm from Salford, mate." A Crown Court judge wasn't impressed, telling Swift's solicitor: "He is not a gangster."
The pair appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday (March 22) after pleading guilty to blackmail. Judge Mark Savill called it a 'frightening incident'.
READ MORE: Cocaine-fuelled killer GUILTY of murdering 'one-of-a-kind' dad in horrific attack
The court heard, who Jones acted as an 'intermediary' to his 'associates', was tasked with collecting £15,000 after the victim's ex ran up a drug debt. Jones remained 'silent' throughout the incident and hired Swift to 'be the muscle'.
Prosecuting, David Lees said the pair knocked on the victim's door at around 5pm. The woman's 12-year-old son answered. Knowing why they were there, the victim sent her three children and father upstairs.
Swift then threatened her, telling he he had 'put the windows through' the wrong house before and didn't want to do the same to hers 'because [she has] children'.
Swift then told her: "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' following the threats, and scraped together £1,000 of her own money, and £2,000 of her father's money, and put it through Jones' letterbox, 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 going to the victim's family home. He said his involvement was 'short-lived' that there was an 'absence of actual violence'.
Defending Jones, Keith Harrison said it was 'obviously a serious case', but that Jones had 'said nothing' and 'did nothing aggressive during the encounter'.
"Mr Swift you have been in trouble almost all of your life," the judge said. "You have a family. You have a child. You have certain mental health issues. But you can't stay clear of trouble." He handed Swift, of Dover Road, Salford, a sentence of 27 months.
Sentencing Jones, Judge Savill said 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. Jones, of Dickens Street, Oldham, was jailed for 24 months.
READ NEXT:
- Horrific story of how Thomas Campbell was 'tortured to death' in his own home revealed in special podcast
- University of Manchester students forcibly 'dragged' out of campus building after weeks-long strike
- Drunk woman who lashed out in town centre claimed she just 'fell over'
- Last-known CCTV footage of missing woman who police believe has been murdered
- Vile paedophile who abused two children decades apart unmasked after becoming 'bored' and bragging online
