A MAN from Flint has been jailed for 14 months after threatening to “torch” a businessman’s warehouse unless he paid him £10,000.

Matthew Lloyd Pritchard used Facebook Messenger to make the threats on the businessman who had no idea of the identity of his blackmailer.

But police were alerted when Pritchard offered his bank details.

He initially asked for £3,000 and threatened to torch the victim. But he then upped his demands to five figures and ordered the cash be paid at a local cinema.

Judge Rhys Rowlands branded his behaviour "truly wicked" and imposed a five-year restraining order on him not to contact his victim.

Prosecutor Frances Willmott said the victim received a message saying "you are going to get done in” and during an exchange of messages Pritchard threatened to "set him on fire if he grassed".

He said there were people standing by and at one stage said he was losing patience and claimed to have a shot gun.

The businessman was so concerned for his family's safety he moved them into another part of his property.

Pritchard told his victim he would have to watch his back for life and at one point told him he would be "dead in 15 minutes."

It emerged after Prichard’s arrest that his victim had known him at school, although the pair had not seen each other for 17 years.

The court heard Pritchard suffered from mental health problems and he told police after his arrest that the messages were a joke.

He said he did not remember much of the conversation because of the medication he was taking.

Pritchard, 33, of Greenbank Villas in Church Street, Flint, admitted making unwarranted demands of £10,000 with menaces between June 9 and June 12 this year.

Mold Crown Court was told he had eight previous convictions including a robbery in 2013 for which he received a suspended sentence.

Defending barrister Simon Rogers said Pritchard’s offence was “not sophisticated” and he suffered from bipolar and schizophrenia and his own care worker.

But Judge Rowlands said that the defendant’s issues were no reason for him committing blackmail.

"It is hard to see how it explains, let alone excuses, what you were doing to the victim. It was truly wicked behaviour on your part," Judge Rowlands said.

"Those who commit blackmail must know they will go straight to prison.”