A TEENAGER who accused a man of being a child sex attacker and then terrorised him, has won his freedom.

A court heard how Michael Jackson, 18, had threatened to petrol bomb victim Clive Bundy's home and shoot him. He had also demanded cash from him.

Mr Bundy was so frightened, he left his home for about a week but the allegations against him were completely false.

Jackson, who has served the equivalent of an eight month sentence in custody, was put on an Intensive Control and Change programme by a judge who said he was giving him the opportunity to work together with the probation service.

Judge Stuart Baker said that if he sent the defendant, who also committed a sneak-in burglary and stole a woman's mobile phone as she slept at her Blackburn home, to custody it would not be for long and it would not benefit anybody.

The defendant, of no fixed address but from Blackburn, admitted burglary and harassment. The judge imposed 12 months community rehabilitation, 100 hours community punishment, a six months curfew order and a restraining order.

Philip Holden, prosecuting, told the court the defendant phoned Mr Bundy and accused him of sexually assaulting a neighbour's child. Mr Bundy asked what Jackson was talking about and the defendant then threatened to petrol bomb his house. The defendant then asked Mr Bundy to get him some money and said he would ring the day after. Jackson then told Mr Bundy he would shoot him if he did not get the money.

The prosecutor said the victim was so concerned by what was happening he left his Blackburn home for about a week. Jackson was traced through the phone calls and subsequently arrested.

When questioned by police he blamed the calls on a young man with learning difficulties. In a second interview, he continued to deny the offences and said he was the victim of a smear campaign.

Tim Ashmole, defending, said the offences started off as a joke after drink and smoking cannabis but had turned into something more.