A former newsagent put a noose around the neck of a paperboy in a bid to find out about money which had supposedly gone missing.

A court heard on Monday how Robert Robinson tightened the noose around the 16-year-old's neck and demanded to know the whereabouts of the cash.

Robinson also pulled the boy's trousers down to stop him from kicking out and Chelmsford Crown Court was told how the noose left rope burns on the teenager's neck.

The youngster's ordeal only came to an end when members of his family arrived on the scene. The boy needed deep gulps of air to recover once the rope was removed, the court heard.

Robinson wanted to get rid of the paper round he ran from his shop - Mount News in Braintree - and he arranged for the teenager to take over the round, Robert Neill, prosecuting, said.

The route was worth £700 a week, but a dispute arose between the two over the money. Robinson still paid his suppliers by direct debit and he and the teenager went to the youth's home to look for paperwork, Mr Neill said.

But once they were in the house, Robinson grabbed the boy, put the noose around his neck, tightened it and demanded: "Where's the money?"

He then pulled the boy's trousers down to prevent him from kicking out and told him he was going to call the police.

After his arrest, Robinson, of Chestnut Grove, Braintree, told police he was at the end of his tether and had acted on the spur of the moment to make a citizen's arrest.

In court Robinson admitted charges of assault and false imprisonment. He was jailed for four months.

John Burrow, mitigating, said Robinson was under great financial pressure at the time. He had a £100,000 mortgage on his home and the shop had floundered through no fault of his own.

He transferred the paper round to the teenager but believed only cheques and no cash were being paid into an account he had to repay suppliers, Mr Burrow said.

"He used the rope in a crazy spur of the moment instant," Mr Burrow added.

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