Bitter businessman in 'petrol bomb revenge plot against his former lover'

Robert McNaughton intended to 'get back' at Sharon McCann, whom he claimed owed him money, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The 51-year-old defendant allegedly used an embarrassing photograph of her on a fake Facebook account claimed to have been set up by him in her name.

McNaughton did not want to get 'his hands dirty' and recruited two men to destroy and deface property belonging to her, said Mr Peter Arnold, prosecuting.

Matthew Barker, aged 42, and 19-year-old Joden Smith have both admitted their involvement in the plot, the jury was told.

The prosecutor explained: "This was not just standing outside and shouting. It was nasty, unpleasant stuff, not just on one occasion but time after time, very often at night."

It culminated in a petrol bomb gutting a car and damaging Miss McCann's home in Hopwood Close, Halesowen.

On December 7, 2014, the tyres of a car parked outside the property were punctured and the front window of the house was smashed shortly after midnight eleven days later.

A car window was broken on January 8, 2015 and the following day another window at the property was smashed.

Red paint was thrown over a car and the front of the house on January 21 and two days later the attacks switched to the home of her ex husband in Webheath, near Redditch where car windows were broken and the blood of Smith was found at the scene, the court was told.

Then on February 1 the petrol bomb was thrown into a Corsa parked outside the Hopwood Close address, disclosed Mr Arnold who continued: "Basically the car exploded and was totally destroyed. The fire spread to the front door of the premises which was set alight. Miss McCann and her mother were alert inside, no doubt every night they were concerned that something else was going to happen.

"They managed to get out, call the fire service and the fire was put out before anyone could be hurt but the story could have been very different."

The prosecutor declared: "The physical relationship between the defendant and Miss McCann ended in September 2013.

"She wanted to walk away from it but he did not and took it badly.

"This case is all about how that resentment manifested itself.

"He claimed she owed him money and was determined to get back at her." Mr Arnold said McNaughton was in the recycling business and continued: "He is of some means, personalised number plate and so on.

"He is no fool and realised he needed a back up story."

The defendant insisted he was not involved and blamed Romanians allegedly locked in a dispute with the boyfriend of one of Miss McCann's daughters.

The prosecutor described this as 'fanciful' and concluded: "The fact is that he, Barker and Smith were all part of a conspiracy together."

McNaughton from Tenter Drive, Halesowen denies conspiring to commit criminal damage between July 1 2014 and March 31 2015.

The trial continues.