A scaffolder who had sex with a schoolgirl and blackmailed her for money has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Joshua Dubey, 24, met the girl when she was 14 and he was 18, and a sexual relationship began in 2011 when she was 15 and he was 19 years old, the court heard.

Dubey, who was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, September 18, got his victim pregnant and threatened to kill her if she did not give him money, the court heard.

Elizabeth Smaller, prosecuting, said Dubey had sex with the girl regularly and the victim had said “there isn’t really an alley in Kingston or Teddington where some sort of sexual activity hasn’t taken place.”

She said the girl, who believed she was in love, would give Dubey sums of £50-£150 at a time, to a total of about £2,000, and took to stealing from her parents in order to pay him.

Ms Smaller said: “He is without doubt manipulative.

“If she did not give him money he would accuse her of letting him down.”

The victim, who had previously had problems with alcohol and drug-use before she met Dubey, began to drink and use cocaine, the court heard.

During their relationship Dubey texted the girl messages threatening to come to her school and strangle her and demanding money the court heard.

The relationship ended when Dubey put a friend on the phone when he was with the victim and asked if he would kill a girl for him. When his friend answered he would,  the victim left Dubey and later reported him to the police, Ms Smaller said.

Dubey had only two concerns, that no one knew he was the father and that he would still be getting money from her, the court heard.

Ms Smaller said: “The victim is not a naive 14-year-old but she is a very vulnerable one with low self esteem, of which the defendant was very aware.

“He is a bully who picked on her and her issues and played on her insecurities.”

Dubey, who has a young child, pleaded guilty to sex with a 15-year-old and blackmail on July 20, the day the trial was due to begin.

Beth O’Reilly, defending, said it was important Judge Recorder James Dawson take this into account when considering his sentence, as it spared the victim the trauma of having to give evidence at trial.

Ms O’Reilly said it was important the case was taken in context and the victim was “pro-active” in their relationship and had sent sexually explicit texts to Dubey.

She said: “Teenage conversations like this are very commonplace.”

Ms O’Reilly said Dubey, who has previous convictions for offences including common assault and criminal damage, has changed his life dramatically since his “troubled” teenage years with regards to employment and relationships.

She said: “His mother says they let him down when he was a teenager.

“He was a victim of bullying at school so abandoned any interest in an academic career and clearly felt very isolated.”

She said £1,500 had been placed into an account prior to Dubey’s guilty plea, which will be made available for the victim.

Summing up, Judge Dawson said: “She was a child and didn’t know how relationships were supposed to work and you took advantage of that.

“You have pleaded guilty and I do give you credit for that. It would have been very embarrassing for [the victim] to have to come to this court and give evidence.

“I also have to be aware that not only have you pleaded guilty but to all intents and purposes you have turned your life around and far from being what you were at the time, which was arrogant and unpleasant, people have written to me that you are responsible and I have to take that into account.”

Dubey was sentenced to four-and-a-half years imprisonment and will pay £1,500 compensation.