A man who left a threatening voicemail on the phone of council workers who were trying to help him has been jailed.

Ben McGarrity, 26, rang a housing officer at Tendring District Council on Monday, April 27, when he left a threatening message.

The team had been speaking to McGarrity over the phone around ten minutes before he called again and left the message in connection with a housing enquiry.

Essex Police arrested McGarrity, of no fixed address, two days later.

At Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court, McGarrity was sentenced to four weeks in prison for leaving a threatening message and was ordered to pay £128 in compensation.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Vanessa Moss said: “McGarrity repaid the council workers who were trying to help him with threats of violence that caused alarm and distress.

“We found that he had borrowed a member of the public’s phone to make both the calls to Tendring District Council and it didn’t take us long to track him down.

“McGarrity’s criminal behaviour and all-round unpleasantness has resulted in him being sent to prison.”