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Daniel Hoult

A TEENAGER pretended he had been kidnapped to extort a £2,000 ransom from his grandmother.

Daniel Hoult had hatched a plan to convince his grandmother he was being held hostage by a gangster.

He sent her a text message reading: "Nan, do not phone police; my nose is bust. I don't know where I am; they are waiting for me. Phone or text please, I'm scared."

Hoult from Robert Louis Stevenson Avenue, Westbourne, admitted blackmailing Maureen Mumford on August 12 last year in a bid to fund his heroin habit.

The 19-year-old has been locked up for two years after also pleading guilty to eight burglaries, shoplifting and being involved in a smash and grab raid at a Westbourne jeweller's shop.

Prosecuting at Bournemouth Crown Court, Angela England said Hoult had viewed his grandmother as wealthy and "a person he could seek money from for his drug habit".

During a conversation with friends on August 11 Hoult revealed his plans to contact his grandmother, claiming he was being held hostage by a gangster who was demanding payment of a drug debt. When they challenged him, he replied: "I need money and I don't care."

Miss England said: "The defendant said it needed to be more realistic to be blackmail and suggested his friends stabbed him in the leg or punched him in the head. But they refused."

Later he sent the chilling text message to his grandmother.

Hoult had a bloodied nose when a neighbour overheard a phone conversation between him and his grandmother.

Despite Hoult telling her not to raise the alarm, Mrs Mumford contacted the police.

"They believed he had been kidnapped and urged her to buy time."

He was later taken into secure custody for his own safety.

On August 13 Hoult confessed to his grandmother that his kidnap plot had been a ruse and gave himself up.

Defending, Robert Grey described his client as "a very foolish young man" who was mentally ill.

"He smoked cannabis from a very young age and his heroin addiction was escalating at an alarming rate."

Mr Grey added that Hoult's grandmother had forgiven him and had come to court to support him.

Sentencing Hoult, Recorder Sarah Munro QC told him his "naïve scheme" had frightened his grandmother and wasted police time.

She said of the burglaries: "I don't expect you have any idea of what effect dwelling house burglary has."

She added: "I hope that while you are locked up you get off drugs."

Hoult replied: "That's what I want."

8:47am Tuesday 20th May 2008

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