Family ‘lived in fear’ after Northampton man threatened to torture them in months of abusive messages

“I have not even begun to ruin your life yet,” was one of 70 threatening messages sent by a 26-year-old Northampton man that caused a family to live in fear for months.

Jack Blackman, of South Copse in East Hunsbury, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Friday, April 21 after pleading guilty to three counts of sending offensive communications to cause distress to others.

The court heard that Blackman met one of his victims on a gambling website 11 years ago and they had on-and-off contact until 2018 when the woman cut contact. Against the victim’s wishes, Blackman continued to contact her so she deleted her social media accounts.

Sinjin Bulbring, prosecuting, said the victim reactivated those accounts in November 2020 and that was when the threatening messages from Blackman started.

Some of the messages, read aloud to the court, said: “I will put your dog in a blender and make you drink it”; “I will torture you and your family” and “I have not even begun to ruin your life yet.”

The court heard that, in February 2021, Blackman went one step further, sending the victim’s stepfather a link to a video of someone being flayed, beheaded and tortured, saying that he would pay “good money” to watch him die in that way and pleasure himself to it. He also sent the video to the victim and her mother.

Blackman sent a total of 70 messages between over four months, the court heard. When the victim attempted to block the defendant, he created new accounts.

The victim, in a statement, said that she has spent the last 10 years “living in fear” and, as a result of the abuse, had to move house and wanted to end her life.

The victim said: I am sick of living in fear of this man. My biggest wish is that he leaves me and my family alone.”

Blackman was arrested on March 14 2021 and he gave police a no comment interview.

The defendant has eight previous convictions for 13 offences including battery, resisting a police officer and failing to comply with community orders.

Jonathan Rosen, in mitigation, said: “The person who has done this is clearly a very troubled young man.”

The defence barrister said that Blackman is highly immature and suffers from childhood trauma.

The court heard that Blackman is diagnosed with anxiety and depression and, at the time of offending, he was drinking significant amounts of alcohol. He tried to engage with mental health services before but contact stopped.

Mr Rosen added: “He is very much in need of some form of intervention.”

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane, sentencing, described Blackman’s tirade of abusive messages as “extremely unpleasant.”

Judge Crane continued: “This was deliberate, the material was very offensive, it had sexual content and the relationship to the victim was consistent.”

Blackman was handed a 14 month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He was ordered to undertake a six month mental health treatment requirement programme along with an alcohol monitoring requirement and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

A restraining order was additionally imposed indefinitely between Blackman and the three victims.