A CRUEL blackmailer who terrorised a young mother into handing over all her money and jewellery by threatening to post a scantily clad photo of her on Facebook has been jailed for two and a half years.

Cocaine addict, Mohammed Qureshi, plundered £1,700 from the student's bank account and left her with nothing to feed her children, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Qureshi, 23, told his victim, known in court as Miss X, she had to marry him and claimed he had a photo of one of her relatives having sex, prosecutor Howard Shaw said.

Qureshi, of Juniper Close, Girlington, Bradford, jumped bail and flew to Pakistan after his first appearance at the crown court.

He was arrested on a warrant and pleaded guilty to making an unwarranted demand for cash and jewellery with menaces and stealing £1,703.

Mr Shaw told the court yesterday that Miss X, a young Asian mother, was sent "rude and indecent" tests and WhatsApp messages by manipulative Qureshi.

He then changed his tone to "nice and sweet" and asked to borrow £150 for his car tax.

When the woman gave him internet access to her bank account, he dipped repeatedly into it, taking out a total of £1,853.

"He tried to laugh it off and said she would have to marry him if she wanted her money back," Mr Shaw said.

He demanded a photo as "the price of repayment" and when Miss X sent a head and shoulders snap of her in a bath towel, he demanded something more revealing, but she refused.

"He threatened to put the photo on Facebook unless she gave him more more money. It was in trust for her children and she had to borrow £40 to buy them food," Mr Howard said.

When Qureshi threatened to display copies of the photo in the street, as well as on Facebook, unless she gave him another £1,300, Miss X handed over her jewellery.

She went to the police after he said he had a photo of a close relative of hers having sex.

Qureshi's barrister, Chris Smith, said: "This is a mean offence and all designed to get money because he had a drink and drug problem, but there have been some real improvements since."

Qureshi was now married with a son and he had undergone rehabilitation in Pakistan.

"He was drinking a bottle of vodka a day and, terribly unwisely, thought that cocaine might help, and all of that was costing him a fortune at a time when he wasn't working," Mr Smith said.

Judge Colin Burn said: "This was a course of conduct which will have been very distressing and disturbing for the complainant in this case.

"She will have been frightened and felt there was nowhere to turn. She could not have gone to her family and she was backed into a corner."

Judge Burn said Qureshi had threatened to shame and humiliate Miss X.

"This complainant was cruelly blackmailed by you and you threw her trust back in her face," he said.

Qureshi was jailed for 27 months for blackmail and three months on top for jumping bail.

Judge Burn made a restraining order banning him from contacting Miss X.