A “DOTING” grandmother who wanted her grandson punished for faking his own kidnapping to pay off outstanding drug debts has got her wish.

Daniel Gray, 25, was jailed for 10 months yesterday after pleading guilty to blackmail.

He duped Sally Knock into believing he had been kidnapped by a former Russian KGB agent. She received a string of text messages threatening his life unless she handed over £7,500.

From his own phone, Gray – an aspiring musician – texted: “I will explain who I am, someone you will not want to meet. I have your son here. He is okay but he will not be if no-one complies with me.”

Over the course of the afternoon in October, Gray posed as the kidnapper demanding money from the pensioner, before texting her as himself.

He wrote: “It is me, kind of in deep s***. He has been here since this morning. He will not let me go to work.”

Terrified Gray’s life was at risk, Mrs Knock called her daughter who alerted police.

Sarah O’Kane, prosecuting at Oxford Crown Court yesterday, said: “The defendant knew how to pull at her heartstrings.

“These messages understandably caused this defendant’s grandmother a great deal of concern.

“Police found him with his phone, perfectly happy at an address safe and well.

“When interviewed he said he had been in debt and his grandmother had lent him money before.”

Days earlier, Mrs Knock had given her grandson some money to help him out.

Kabir Sondhi, defending, said Gray owed £15,000 to drug dealers and on mobile phone bills.

He said: “Ms Knock does want to see Mr Gray punished but said she has noted a change in his behaviour since the incident.”

Sentencing Gray, of Braishfield Road, Bicester, of Judge Peter Ross told him his grandmother was a “soft touch” who doted on him.