A HALESOWEN man stole nearly £20k from the firm where his father was a shareholder because he was being "hassled" for money by a drug dealer he helped convict, a court heard.

John Partridge took 33 company cheques from Very Fasteners Ltd, forged signatures and then exchanged them for money at a cash-for-cheques firm in Cradley Heath.

The 28-year-old, of Lodgefield Road, stole a total of £19,713 from the Bromford Lane based firm between October 2011 and June this year, said Mrs Sati Ruck prosecuting.

Mr Julian Harris defending said Partridge provided a statement to police that helped send the dealer to prison but when he came out he was bent on "revenge."

Mr Harris told Wolverhampton Crown Court Partridge's car and home were trashed and threats were made by the man to him and his family.

Partridge was also told by the man he wanted money and, after taking out a number of loans, he then began traking cheques from the West Bromwich based company.

But once staff at the firm became aware that money had gone missing Partridge made full admissions, said Mr Harris who told the court the dealer had been jailed for 18 months in 2009.

Partridge admitted fraud and was given a 40 week jail term suspended for 18 months and told to carry out 180 hours unpaid work in the community.

Recorder Peter Cooke also made him the subject of an 18 month supervision order.