John Shields
Desperate drug thug John Shields faked his own kidnapping to con thousands of pounds out of his doting parents in a bogus blackmail scam.
The 37-year-old concocted a hare-brained heartless plan to fleece his family, feed his heroin addiction and settle his drugs debt.
It was only when Shields crumpled under policing questioning that the whole sordid tale emerged.
The cruel ploy almost succeeded as his frantic parents forked out thousands to buy his ‘freedom’ having been duped into believing their son was being held to ransom by a ruthless drug gang.
They were convinced had they not paid up their son would be dead.
In truth his anxious father would be handing over £6,500 to his conniving son’s accomplice.
This week’s Shields of Ormonde Park, Belfast, Peter McKeown of Springfield Road and Owen McGrath of the Old Road, Upper Ballinderry pleaded guilty to charge of making demands with menace under the terms of the Blackmail section of the Theft Act.
The Sunday World can reveal on the day of Shields’ ‘kidnapping’ he failed to turn up to work in a city centre restaurant.
It was around the time he was due to begin his shift that his parents received a telephone call saying he was being held hostage.
The caller demanded £12,000 which they were to bring to an address where they would be reunited with their son. The parents were warned not to contact the police.
Shield’s distraught mother contacted his place of work where she was informed her chef son had not turned up leading her to believe the telephone call was legitimate.
They frantically tried to gather the cash from family and friends but were unable to gather the full amount – however it was enough to satisfy their son and the conmen associates it was the best they could hope for.
They arranged to meet Shields’ father at the Royal Victoria Hospital in October 2013 for the cash handover.
Mr Shields handed over £6,500 and in return was given an address in south Belfast. When they arrived they found their son tied to a chair.
Thankful to have him back alive and believing they had just bought his life they took him straight to the police to report the crime.
Under questioning Shields buckled and admitted the scam, breaking his parents’ hearts in the process.
He was also arrested for possession of ecstasy with intent to supply.
Out of greed and desperation he hatched the hostage plot in order to pay off the dealers and fund his habit.
It is understood his parents had previously bailed him out financially to the tune of thousands of pounds and when they were confronted by this latest demand they simply believed their son was in drug trouble again.
No member of Shields family attended court.