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Jarrow Woman Jailed 40 Months for Blackmailing Friend Out of £23,446

The sentence signals courts will seek to claw back the stolen funds through Proceeds of Crime powers.

Overview

  • Newcastle Crown Court jailed Jenna Thompson, 40, for 40 months after she admitted blackmail.
  • Between November 2023 and July 2024, the victim made 87 transfers totaling £23,446 and was left with 16p by September 2024.
  • Thompson posed as a man and later his son using a burner phone, sending threats and images of a crossbow and grenades with talk of a new shooter.
  • The messages threatened visits to the victim’s home and workplace and damage to cars and windows, which the judge said the victim reasonably believed.
  • The court imposed a restraining order and set Proceeds of Crime proceedings, a process used to recover money made through crime.