AN EX-PROFESSIONAL boxer extorted money from a vulnerable victim by offering him and his family personal protection.

Adeeb Najeeb, 26, also intimidated two others to hand over cash for non-existent electrical goods.

The court heard Najeeb turned to drugs after his ‘promising’ career in the ring faltered.

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The married dad was approached by a man with muscular dystrophy, who was being bullied at the gym they both used, and Najeeb agreed to offer protection to him and his family.

But Preston Crown Court was told Najeeb, of Bastwell Road, Blackburn, played on the man’s fears, even making up false threats and asking for thousands of pounds in payment.

In a victim statement, the man said he suffered anxiety and stress after Najeeb said he would get 'his boys' involved.

Prosecutor Peter Warne said the victim handed over £7,000 of his life savings to Najeeb, hoping the boxer’s notoriety in the local area would provide some protection.

Najeeb soon moved on to his next victim, a stranger he targeted on a petrol station forecourt.

The court was told Najeeb claimed he worked for Currys and could sell the man electrical goods at a vastly discounted price.

The victim was persuaded to hand over £460, but Mr Warne said it was a scam.

Najeeb never delivered the goods and became verbally abusive when the man tried to follow up on his purchases.

Each time he was intimidated into handing over more cash, until he had paid over £3,000 in the con.

Najeeb then moved on to a single mum he had known since school and used the same scam offering to sell her an iPad for £220, the court heard.

He took her to a cash machine where he pressurised her to withdraw £700 which put her into her overdraft.

A few days later the woman discovered Najeeb had withdrawn a further £400 from her account, and realised he must have spotted her typing in her PIN.

Najeeb pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud.

Hugh Barton, defending, said: "Najeeb was a very promising boxer, he turned professional.

"As a young man it looked like he had a very promising boxing career ahead of him.

"He also enjoyed a degree of popularity and notoriety in the community."

Sentencing Najeeb to 44 months behind bars, Judge James Adkin, said: “You saw your first victim as vulnerable. He had come to you for help.

"You exploited him by extracting £7,000 profit from him.

“He handed over his life savings and accrued debt on his credit card in order to pay you to protect him and his family.

“He was vulnerable by virtue of his physical condition and unable to protect himself.

“You appear to have insight and have shown remorse. You pleaded guilty.”