Angry dad had couple's cars vandalised and made threats in vehicle dispute

Ian Scott, 49, went round to the family home and made threats in relation to a dispute over work to a car.

He arranged for an accomplice to pour a white substance over their cars late at night in June last year and followed up with menacing phone calls demanding £2,000 within 28 days.

A judge said he acted ‘disgracefully’ but spared him immediate prison when he was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court.

On the first visit to the victims’ home over the dispute Scott said: “I’m going to damage your cars, set your trailer on fire and put your window in.”

Around three weeks later the homeowner awoke to find a white substance had been poured over their cars stripping the paint and causing over £1,000 damage.

Paul Abrahams, prosecuting, said: “CCTV showed a person on a bike attended masked. It’s not suggested it was the defendant but an agent acting under directions.

"At 20 minutes past midnight he poured the contents of a container over the vehicles.”

The following month in a recorded call to the man’s wife Scott said: “Get me that money or I’m going to kill you. You’ve got 28 days see what happens.”

Scott also left derogatory comments on the Facebook page of a business run by the victim’s wife.

In impact statements the husband said he felt nervous going out and his wife said she did not feel safe in her own home and have since moved away out of fear.

Scott, of South Avenue, Billingham, pleaded guilty to threats to cause criminal damage, criminal damage, two counts of blackmail and one of sending offensive electronic communications.

Gary Wood, defending, said in mitigation that Scott was suffering severe back pain at the time and the vehicle dispute “tipped him over the edge”.

He said: “This seems to have been a one off incident brought about by a very unusual set of circumstances.”

Scott was given 12 months prison suspended for two years and a three-year restraining order.

Judge Stephen Ashurst: “The impact of what you did has been significant.”

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