A “VIOLENT bully” convicted of a seven-month campaign of blackmail has been jailed for six years.

Michael Thompson, of Bartlett Close, Witney, was found guilty of two counts of blackmail, false imprisonment and causing actual bodily harm.

During his trial John Law, prosecuting, said the 27-year-old forced William Wall to hand over his wages every month and made him set up a bank overdraft when he could not pay.

He said Thompson used violence and threats to repeatedly extort money from his victim – eventually punching, throttling and biting his victim in a bid to get £5,000.

Mr Law said this alleged assault was on July 1 last year and marked the 'high point' of a campaign that started in December 2013, during which Mr Wall handed over £5,780 in total.

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Oxford Crown Court heard that Thompson has 23 convictions for 38 offences, including for other assaults.

But Claire Fraser, defending, said her client had been given responsibilities while in prison and was now a trusted inmate.

She said: “He has been using his time in custody extremely well, and Although he has been before the courts on a number of occasions, they were for more minor offences."

“They are not for the more serious offences like wounding.”

But Recorder Andrew Burrows told Thompson he was a “violent bully” and read out part of a statement from his victim.

In it Mr Wall wrote: “When Michael gets released my mum and I are planning to move away.

“I hate to leave all this, but I feel I have no choice.

“I’m scared and in fear for my and my mum's safety.”

Recorder Burrows told Thompson: “William Wall was terrified of you and of what you would do to him.

“He knew you and your reputation for violence. He was scared you would not only hurt him, but his mother with whom he lived.

“During this period he lost four-and-a-half stone in weight and could not sleep properly.”

Thompson, who was sentenced on February 12at Oxford Crown Court, will also have to pay a £120 victims’ surcharge when he is released.