Margaret McLellan Watson extorted £70,260 from a Paisley pensioner between January 25, 2018 and February 9, 2019.
Watson, of Viewpark Gardens in Renfrew, put the man in a state of “alarm and apprehension” of having individuals come to his home to “batter him.”
Twisted Watson threatened she would tell people he sexually assaulted her if he didn’t give her the money when she repeatedly turned up “unannounced and uninvited” at his house.
The 67-year-old man told the court how he met Watson in Davidson’s pub in Renfrew shortly after his wife had died.
He admits he was drinking more than he should have at that time and “got chatting” to Watson one night.
Giving evidence in the trial, the Paisley man told the jury: “I was sitting at the same table as her, and it was just general chit chat to begin with.
“She told me her cooker wasn’t working. I felt quite sorry for her and probably me having too much to drink, I said I’d give her money to get a new cooker.”
The man told the court how he’d had about “six or seven pints” when he said he would give Watson £300 to buy a new cooker.
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He explained: “We left Davidsons pub and walked to the Bank of Scotland cash machine.
“She asked me if I could make it £500, and I said no, I could only get £300 out each day.
“I put my card in, and I put my pin in, and she hit the balance button.
“I had around £80,000 at that time. I had received a substantial redundancy payment, and another substantial redundancy payment before that and when my wife passed away, I got some money from her pension.
“It wasn’t a normal amount of money for me to have, and I gave her the £300, and we went back to the pub.”
The court heard the man later called a taxi, in which Watson heard the man give the taxi driver his address.
The retired technician explained how Watson turned up at his house on multiple occasions, “demanding money” and making “threats”.
He explained: “On one occasion, she said she was up for £5000. I said I didn’t have that type of money, and she said I was a liar and that she saw my bank balance.
“She said I better get it or she was going to get me done in, beat up. I said I’m not giving you that type of money, and she said she would say I sexually assaulted her and that she’s got a witness.
“She said that the witness would say exactly what she tells him to say.
“She said if I don’t get it, my guys will do you in. I was terrified. I never touched her.
“I always gave her the money; she was always threatening the same threats. She said she would get me done for sexual assault.
“I had it in my head she would get me done in.”
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During the trial at Paisley Sheriff Court, a document was shown to the jury in the form of a list, which the man used to keep a track of the amount of money he gave Watson each month from January 2018.
The Procurator fiscal read it to the court, stating: “2018, January £10,000, March, £20,000, April, £10,000.”
Figures for each month of the year were read out, with the total amount of money reaching £70,260.
Defence agent Mark Chambers told the court his 54-year-old client could compensate his victim, but her payments would be “limited” to £20 per month due to her monthly benefits.
Sheriff Bruce Erroch KC slammed Watson’s “calculated” actions, stating: “I have to regard this offence as a serious one.
“Your victim was vulnerable, in which you knew, you made repeated threats over a significant period of time, and there has been no attempt to recompense your victim.”
Sheriff Erroch KC jailed Watson for two years from today.
As she was led downstairs to start her sentence, women in the public gallery shouted, “You’ll be okay, Mags.”
