Couple warned of ‘visit by people with shotguns’

1AM CALLER CLAIMED £300 WAS OWED FOR STOLEN DRUG

A COUPLE were warned people with shotguns would attack them if they did not pay a £300 “drug debt”.

Jason Ashwell banged on the couple’s front door in Thringstone at 1am on March 17 and told them their daughter had stolen £300 worth of cocaine from him.

Prosecutor Sukhy Basi told Leicester Magistrates’ Court: “The defendant told them their daughter had stolen cocaine from his vehicle and if the money was not returned, members of the travelling community would return to the house with shotguns.”

Mr Basi said the 32-year-old did indeed return later with a group of other men but it was not clear whether they were armed. The couple called 999 and the men fled.

Mr Basi said: “There was a knock on the door. The couple were concerned the males had come to cause violence upon them and they telephoned the police and the males left. They said they felt alarm and fear for their personal safety.”

Ashwell was known to the couple and he was arrested but gave no comment in three separate police interviews during which he was “disruptive and aggressive towards the officers”.

But during Thursday’s hearing at the magistrates’ court, Ashwell, of Howard Lane, Whitwick, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour.

Mr Basi said Ashwell had previous convictions for 10 other offences but no crimes on his record since 2015.

Jagvir Sangherre, representing Ashwell, said: “What was coming out of his mouth was very unreliable, very emotive and affected by the consumption of some illegal substances.

“His control over those words was limited – he was venting out words that were hollow.”

Mr Sangherre said his client was “very sorry” and would not to anything similar again.

District Judge Nick Watson said: “Mr Sangherre suggests those were hollow words.

“They were obviously frightening and if they were hollow that didn’t seem demonstrated by the fact you turned up at the address with other people.”

He gave Ashwell a community order with 60 hours of unpaid work.

Ashwell was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £90 victim surcharge.