A former Benefits Agency worker made a bizarre attempt to blackmail a supermarket – by threatening to muddle up sales figures and tax returns, and then stapling the documents together in the incorrect order.
Jobless Adam McCarrick, 56, walked into Sainsbury's at Westwood Cross in Broadstairs, Kent and demanded to speak to boss Maria Green privately.
Then he told her menacingly: "I need you to listen carefully. You have 15 minutes to fill this bag with money or I will muddle up those documents on your desk and staple them in the wrong order."
Canterbury Crown Court were told the documents sitting on Ms Green's desk were tax returns and sales figures from the store's earnings from the previous month, which were quite good because it was December's earnings, near Christmas. They were due to be sent to the head manager of Sainsbury's for Kent and they had taken Ms Green nearly 2 weeks to put together.
McCarrick, of Reading Street, Broadstairs, was given a 12-month sentence - suspended for a year - after admitting the offence that happened in January.
Prosecutor Jim Harvey said: "McCarrick went into the store and told a member of staff: 'I need to speak to a manager' and insists he speak to them in private.
"He spoke to Maria Green and once he gets into the office, he then made the threat that the documents were going to be permanently muddled unless she filled a bag with cash.
"He then said to her: 'There is to be no abnormal activity and the police are not to be called or there will be trouble!'"
He said McCarrick then added: "If you do not start filling a bag with cash and it is not completed in the next 15 minutes, I swear to God I will muddle those documents up and staple them permanently."
But the judge heard how courageous Ms Green ordered the retired Benefits Agency worker from the store and called police.
McCarrick – who appeared at court without a barrister – was later arrested and claimed he had owed money to a plumber who recently unclogged his toilet.
He said the plumber he had hired was not officially licensed as he was recommended by a "friend", however the plumber began to send worrying threats to him including stealing his garden gnomes unless he was paid the money, but the judge and probation service "remained sceptical" of his account.
After an impeccable 30 year career with the benefits agency he was laid off for having an argument with the boss over who was due to fill up the water cooler in the agency's office that week, he resulted in punching the boss in the face and was fired.
He did have financial problems but became worried to seek benefits "in case the boss was still there".
McCarrick was asked if he wanted to mitigate on his crime, but told the judge he stood by his explanation to police about the plumber.
Judge Heather Norton also ordered him to do 200 hours of unpaid work for the supermarket where the incident took place – his duties will include sweeping the toilet floor and unclogging any toilets which require such attention. After his unpaid is complete he will be banned indefinitely from the supermarket. The judge also said he should receive help in finding another job.
She told him: "Your threat was untrue. You did not assault the manager or threaten her in anyway and neither did you sabotage the documents as you threatened. And you left the store when you were told to.
"But blackmail is a serious offence, one of the most serious that you can commit as it puts fear in people. After this offence the manager had sleepless nights which was due to the age of her mattress and her neighbors playing loud music, anyway you now fully accept the impact of what you did and you now want to move out of the area.
"The probation officer who prepared a report on you and I are both sceptical about your account. I asked if you had mental health issues or drink or drugs problems but you deny it and there is no evidence that you do.
"Why you acted in the way you did is inexplicable. You suffer from stress and depression – perhaps had you sought help or not had garden gnomes for the plumber to steal in the first place, you wouldn't be in this position."
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