Friend's 'Wicked' Blackmail Campaign Leaves Victim with Just 16p in Bank Account
A shocking blackmail campaign orchestrated by a trusted friend left a woman with a mere 16p in her bank account and living in constant fear for her life. Jenna Thompson, 40, from Jarrow in South Tyneside, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison after pleading guilty to blackmail at Newcastle Crown Court.
Deceptive Threats and Financial Ruin
Over a nine-month period from November 2023 to July 2024, Thompson conducted what the sentencing judge described as a "wicked course" of deception. She posed as a man with whom she had previously been in a relationship, and later as that man's son, to send chilling threats to her friend. The victim, who had previously offered financial help to Thompson, saw her healthy bank balance of around £28,000 dwindle to just 16p through 87 separate transactions totaling £23,446.
The threats escalated dramatically, with Thompson sending pictures of grenades and a crossbow alongside messages promising to use these weapons against the victim's home. She referenced having a "new shooter" and threatened to damage the victim's car, her mother's car, and the windows of her home. In one particularly alarming message, Thompson threatened to "put a car through her house."
Weaponised Trust and Psychological Torment
In a powerful victim impact statement, the woman described how Thompson had "weaponised" their friendship against her. "I trusted Jenna with my life," she said. "She was not just a friend she was practically family. I believed she cared about me. That trust was weaponised against me."
The psychological impact was devastating. The victim reported living in a "permanent state of panic" where she felt sick from the moment she woke up. "The fear never stopped, it consumed every moment of every day," she told the court. "I became too frightened to leave my house alone. I was terrified I would be attacked and my family would be hurt."
She described feeling "trapped and controlled" with no escape from the relentless messages. "If I didn't respond immediately or send money straight away, the threats escalated," she explained. "I felt completely powerless. Nothing I did made it stop."
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Prosecutor Neil Pallister revealed that Thompson admitted sending the threats when arrested, claiming the victim "used to brag about how much money she had" and that she needed money for utility bills. Pallister noted Thompson showed no remorse during proceedings, stating that "she could afford it."
Miss Recorder Smith, sentencing Thompson, emphasized the severity of the crime: "It left her penniless. In September 2024, she had 16p left in her account. This was the gross abuse of a friendship which you had shared, with devastating consequences for the victim." The judge acknowledged that Thompson, who previously worked in the care sector, didn't intend to carry out the threats but stressed that the victim believed them to be real.
Defense lawyer Fiona Lamb argued that "the offences were committed out of desperation" during financial difficulties following job loss. "She knows she has done wrong," Lamb said. "She hates what she did, she is ashamed and there's certainly remorse here."
Thompson, who has no previous convictions, received a 40-month prison sentence along with a restraining order. She will also face proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The man Thompson impersonated was initially arrested but faced no action as he played no part in the offences.
