'Foul' drug thug hounded petrified Leeds couple for debt that had 'nothing to do with them'
A “foul” thug terrorised an innocent couple by ordering they pay thousands of pounds of a drug debt accrued by their relative.
Martin Lock returned to the couple’s home several times, becoming more aggressive and threatening violence before spitting in the woman’s face as she stood on her doorstep.
Leeds Crown Court heard that the pair were left so traumatised they are being forced to move from their Bramley home of 15 years.
Lock, 42, who appeared in court this week from HMP Hull where he was being held on remand, was given a suspended sentence but handed a restraining order to prevent him from contacting the couple.
He first turned up at their home on May 10 and appeared friendly and polite at first, saying he was owed £6,000 by their daughter’s partner.
The couple had no knowledge of the debt.
Lock left but returned days later and was aggressive and threatening, telling them that the people he worked with “did not care about the police”.
He then returned twice on June 11. They were not in the first time, but came back on the night and was “in a state of rage”, prosecutor Nathan Davis said.
He said he would “snap” the man’s neck and it was their debt now. He then spat in the woman’s face and then tried to spit at the man.
They closed the door but he warned them he would be back if the money was not paid.
Lock, of Waterloo Mount, Pudsey, has 13 previous convictions for 20 offences. He was jailed for seven years in 2005 for robbery.
He admitted two counts of stalking with a fear of violence and one of assault.
Mitigating, Anthony Sugare said Lock had given early guilty pleas.
He said his behaviour was “obviously disgusting” and had apologised. He said: “He knows he had no right to pester an innocent couple.”
Judge Penelope Belcher said: “It was foul, disgusting and completely out of order.
“You state you are deeply ashamed and so you should be. It had nothing to do with them.
“This was not a single act of rage, this was repeated visits, making vile and unpleasant threats.”
She gave him a two-year sentence, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation days to complete.
The restraining order will be in place for two years.
Judge Belcher warned him that he “should be in no doubt” that if he breaches his order, he would be sent back to jail.