A THUG who threatened to murder the owner of a fish and chip shop and torch his business unless he handed over protection money has been jailed three-and-a-half years.

John Watson demanded £1,000 up-front and then £20 a week to make sure no harm came to the man who had just taken over the chippy.

Teesside Crown Court heard he told his terrified victim in late November: "I'll be back. Get the money or I'll kill you and burn the shop down."

Waston's lawyer said the 31-year-old was short of money after losing his job and "did not feel like a real man" as he was unable to support his family.

Andrew Teate, mitigating, said: "With Christmas approaching, he needed to do something to obtain cash to put food on the table and buy gifts.

"He exhausted all legitimate means, therefore,unfortunately he came across this idea almost on the spur of the moment while being driven about."

The judge, Recorder Bernard Gateshill, QC, rejected that it was impulsive after hearing how the landlord of the Hartlepool chip shop had also paid 'John John' £1,000.

He told Watson: "It was a deliberate attempt, indeed an organised attempt, to extricate money from this shopkeeper . . . this was serious."

Watson - jailed for robbery in 2002 and with 50 offences on his record dating to when he was a juvenile - admitted blackmail at an earlier hearing.

The court heard how the victim initially thought he was an undercover police officer when he was ordered to get into the back of his car.

Prosecutor Rachel Masters said he felt scared and intimidated when it became clear Watson, of Kendal Road, Hartlepool, was running a protection racket.

Watson was arrested after the chip shop owner alerted police, and despite claiming he had never been to the shop, was picked out of an ID parade.

Mr Teate told the court: "He has always worked diligently, and has a desire to provide for his partner and a desire to provide for her five children.

"The loss of his job about four months before this made him feel like not a real man because he couldn't provide. He says it is not something he has done before.

"He was not someone who was offering a protection racket in the area or going around taking money from individuals on a daily basis.

"He says that he never had the intention of carrying out any of the threats, although it is clear the complainant would not have known his intentions."

Mr Recorder Gateshill told Watson: "There must be a sentence to deter others from intimidating and terrorising local shopkeepers and business people."