Barrow man jailed for blackmailing missing dog owner
He was jailed for over two years.
A man from Barrow has been jailed for two years and three months after pleading guilty to blackmail after he targeted a pet owner appealing for information on a missing dog.
Brandon Woolveridge aged 25 of Melbourne Street, Barrow rang the victim on September 21st this year asking if they were the owner of a dog called Rufus.
He made demands of £1000 saying it would lead to the return of the pet.
He then rang again three days later, this time conversation was recorded, he wanted half the money up front and the other half when he said the dog would be returned.
He provided her with the bank details, saying he would ring her back after the initial payment and the victim called the police and shared the recording.
Detective Sergeant James Aiston said “Woolveridge was targeting vulnerable pet owners by demanding money for safe return of the pet, knowing fine well he did not have possession of the animal.
“We are thankful for the vigilance and cooperation of the victim in the case who was able to recognise Woolveridge’s voice and make recordings of the calls.
“We understand losing a pet can be really upsetting for people, unfortunately some people like Woolveridge will try and exploit this.”