A convicted fraudster who was found guilty of blackmailing a couple out of almost half a million pounds has been jailed for more than three years.
On the morning of 26 September last year, Gary Taylor, 58, and two other men dressed all in black walked up to the front door of a house in Walton, with Taylor ringing the doorbell and using his hand to partially cover the video doorbell camera.
Getting no response, he posted a letter through the letterbox before punching the video doorbell and leaving.
The letter, which was addressed to the previous resident, said: “Your partner **** stole £434,000 from someone affiliated with us to complete the house in ***** for you. This was a very big mistake and we will stop at absolutely nothing until this is paid back in full. We have now decided to authorise a contract which will be placed on the dark web with your present full address above.”
It went on to make threats of extreme violence and was signed off “Taylor Made Logistics” and included an account number and sort code.
Police were notified and financial checks led to identifying Taylor as the account holder who was arrested at his home in Croydon on 29 September.
In interview, he told detectives how he had delivered what he thought was an apology letter that someone had handed him and knew nothing about it being a threat.
On being questioned about punching the camera, he claimed he did it as he was annoyed at having travelled from London just for that reason. He was later charged with blackmail and criminal damage.
A second man, Francis Alexander, 60, was arrested on 11 October at Stansted Airport in Essex as part of the investigation, and later charged with blackmail.
Following a five-day trial at Peterborough Crown Court earlier this year, a jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts for Taylor, while Alexander, of Church Field, Snodland, Kent, was cleared of the offence.
Taylor, of Manor Road, Croydon, Greater London, appeared at the same court this afternoon (Friday) where he was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
Detective Constable Lauren Clark, who investigated, said: “Taylor is a malicious man who has now not only been convicted of blackmail, but is also serving time in prison for high-value fraud offences in different parts of the country.
“It is clear he will go to extreme lengths for his own financial gain, however, thankfully in this case he was stopped before anyone was hurt or money exchanged hands.”
