A MAN accused of a seven-month “campaign of bullying and extortion” has gone on trial.

Michael Thompson, of Bartlett Close, Witney, allegedly forced William Wall to hand over his wages every month and made him set up a bank overdraft when he could not pay.

In court, John Law, prosecuting, claimed the 27-year-old used violence and threats to repeatedly extort money from his alleged victim, eventually punching, throttling and biting him in a bid to get £5,000.

He said this alleged assault was the “high point” of the campaign and took place on July 1 this year, when, the prosecution claims, Thompson recruited his co-defendant Iain Starkings, 33, of Wychwood Close, Witney, as a driver.

Our top stories

Thompson denies two charges of blackmail and one count of causing actual bodily harm.

Both Thompson and Starkings deny false imprisonment.

Mr Law opened the case for the prosecution yesterday at Oxford Crown Court and said Thompson claimed he was trying to recover money owed to London drug dealers.

He told the jury: “This case is a case of blackmail. That is the main thrust of these allegations – demanding money.

“The first defendant, Michael Thompson, blackmailed his alleged victim William Wall over a period of about seven months, between December last year and June this year.

“We say this was effectively an extreme form of bullying that amounted to extortion.

“Mr Wall was required to hand over money to Mr Thompson with the threat of violence if he did not comply.

“We say he was afraid for himself and he did comply for that reason, and started handing over his wages every week, after starting out with smaller sums.”

He added: “At Easter a demand was made for £1,000 and, because he said he did not have it, the defendant went with him to the bank and an overdraft was arranged.

“It got to the situation in May of this year when the defendant demanded the bank card and pin number from Mr Wall, which he used to take money out.

“Mr Wall ended up borrowing money from his parents to pay Mr Thompson.

“The campaign of bullying and extortion went on and it led to an incident on July 1 this year, which was the high point of it. This was an incident in which Mr Thompson, along with his associate Mr Starkings, took Mr Wall on a drive in a car.

“During this drive Mr Thompson demanded £5,000.

“At one point he got into the back seat and started assaulting Mr Wall, causing injuries.

“He hits him around the head with his mobile phone, punches him, strangles him with the seat belt and bites him on the nose.”

Mr Law said Mr Wall had known Thompson for about two years and the situation started last Christmas when he was drinking in the Beehive Pub, in Carterton, and Thompson snatched a £10 note out of his hand.

The barrister added: “Mr Thompson says that he had vouched for Mr Wall to some drug dealers from London.

“He says he was trying to get the debt paid off by getting the money from Mr Wall.”

The trial continues

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed