Blackmailer strangled woman on first date in Wellingborough pub then threatened to pour petrol through her letterbox

A woman on her first date was left fearing for her life after the man she’d gone to the pub with strangled her.

The victim had gone to the Fiddler’s Elbow in Wellingborough with Jordon Jake Jay Chisholm who she had known for just a few days. When she kept hold of his car keys and wallet to prevent him from drink driving he flew into a rage and put his hands around her neck, strangling her.

She told the court she was scared he was going to kill her.

He spent the next eight hours threatening her and her mum, demanding the victim pay him £500 to prevent him from burning down her house.

Chisholm, 27, appeared at Northampton Crown Court yesterday (Thursday, May 5) to plead guilty to blackmail, assault and two counts of malicious communications.

The court was told how the pair had gone to the pub for a drink on the evening of October 15, 2021, with another pal. But Chisholm had been drinking and in order to try to stop him from driving his car, the victim said she would keep his keys and wallet until he sobered up.

Prosecuting barrister Rahul Kumar said that Chisholm, of Bishop Auckland, Durham, but formerly of Northampton, had ‘put both his hands around her throat and strangled her.’

He added: “It lasted between ten and 15 seconds. In her victim impact statement the victim said she was terrified he was going to seriously hurt or kill her.

“She had no idea what to do.”

She managed to get away but then the defendant began to phone her repeatedly in the early hours of the morning, telling her he would take her dog if she didn’t give him £500.

The victim managed to record some of the conversations. Chisholm was heard saying that he was sending someone to her house, that he would pour petrol through her letterbox and that he take her dog from her and sell it.

He then contacted her mum on Facebook and sent a picture of her front door to show her he was outside her house.

The court heard how Chisholm was already serving a 12 week jail sentence for driving offences he had committed in the North East. The court was told he had mental health issues and realised that his behaviour was ‘wholly unacceptable’.

He had now given up using Spice and had behaved well in prison. But the court was also told how he had previous convictions for domestic violence offences and a history of breaching suspended sentences.

Sentencing Chisholm to 17 months in prison, His Honour Judge David Herbert said: “You sent a series of messages to her in the early hours of the morning threatening to sell her dog and blow her house up if she didn’t send you £500.

"Blackmail is a mean and unpleasant offence that’s viewed seriously by the courts.

"You may have been taking drugs but that’s no excuse and of no consolation to the victim.”