Worker jailed after blackmail threat to his boss

A DISGRUNTLED employee threatened to torch his workplace after accusing the firm of wrongly deducting cash from his wages, a court was told.

Joshua Scott warned his boss he would “burn the place down” unless £1,000 was transferred into his bank account, Warwick Crown Court heard. The boss sent the money.

Scott, a man described as “not very well able to cope in stress situations” believed PAYE had wrongly been deducted from his wages.

In fact, because he had not correctly provided his National Insurance number, deductions were made at the emergency rate.

This week Scott, from Hampton Magna, near Warwick, was jailed for two years after admitting blackmail.

The court heard his boss at TGM Midlands Ltd delayed telling police about the harrowing incident until the following day. He hoped Scott, considered a good employee, would see sense. He didn’t.

Scott was taken on full time at the company, which makes automated gates, last August.

On October 28, employer, Leigh Coulam-Kelsall, arrived at work with his two dogs to find Scott and another employee were already there. Scott demanded £1,000 he believed was owed.

Mr Coulam-Kelsall suggested they go into an office so the true situation could be explained, but Scott snatched his phone and said he would keep it until he received £1,000.

Prosecuting, Mr Graham Russell said: “The defendant was ranting and raving, and he opened a back door, which let in the dogs, and stormed out, but came back with a red petrol can.”

The other employee present tried to reason with him, telling him he was going too far, but to no avail.

“But what followed is that he threatened that if he was not given the money, he would burn the place down with Mr Coulam-Kelsall in it,” said Mr Russell. “By that time David Coulam-Kelsall, who also has a managerial role, had arrived attempted to reason with defendant who, at one stage,

‘let’s make it £2,000.’

“Leigh Coulam-Kelsall did indeed make a bank transfer of £1,000 to the defendant’s account, having been given his phone back to do so.”

Scott, who had previous convictions for theft from an employer and excess alcohol, denied making threats to burn the place down, but did accept taking the petrol can into the office and waving it around.

Clare Evans, defending, said: “He has said repeatedly how sorry he is. He went about what he believed was a genuine grievance in a way which was in no way appropriate.” and the said