A deaf St Albans man was forced to hand over more than £4,000 after being threatened that he would be "stabbed, killed and put in the ground."

The 38-year-old victim was told to hand over the money by two other deaf men, who had learned that he had just received an inheritance.

Emrah Gencer, who was going out with the man's former girlfriend, persuaded the victim's friend Dean Stanley to contact him via Facebook to arrange a meeting, St Albans crown court heard today.

Gencer, who was not known to the victim, posed on Facebook making a pistol action in a gangster pose with the title: Emrah 'Mad Lazy' Gencer.

Prosecutor David Chrimes said Stanley told the man that Gencer and others from London were threatening to harm him because he had said things about them.

He said: "This was an exploitative, manipulative and despicable offence on a vulnerable man. He was under severe threat and was told he would be stabbed, killed and put in the ground if he did not pay £4,000.

"He was petrified and went to the Nationwide in St Albans and withdrew £2,000, which he handed over. The next day he withdrew another £2,000 and £250 from another bank."

The victim, who works in St Albans, told his mother and the police were informed. Stanley was arrested locally and Gencer, a few days later, after being traced through Facebook.

Stanley had put his share of the money in the bank, but Gencer had gone on a spending spree in Reading where he bought luxury items, including an Xbox.

Emrah Gencer, 26, of Bredgar Road, London N19 and Dean Stanley, 28, of The Paddocks, Colney Heath, pleaded guilty to blackmail with menaces to obtain £4,250 between 27 and 30 November 2013. Gencer had initially pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea.

Alex Britton for Stanley, who works as a scrap metal dealer, said he had already paid back his share of £1950. "He apologises and wants the victim to know he feels terrible," he said.

For Gencer, Andel Singh said he was profoundly deaf and would find it difficult to cope in prison. He said he had £1,000 save up to pay in compensation.

Judge John Plumstead told Stanley he was guilty of "a piece of greed and betrayal of a friend".

He said that as a fellow member of the deaf community he knew the victim would be easily intimidated and an easy target.

He passed a 9 month sentence suspended for 2 years, ordered him to carry out 70 hours' unpaid work and pay £300 compensation.

The judge described Gencer as "the scary one". He told him: "You intimidated a fellow member of the deaf community who was someone you should be in empathy with."

He ordered him to pay the £1,000 within 7 days and a further £300 compensation within the next three months.

He was given an 18 month sentence suspended for 2 years with a 6 month electronically-monitored curfew, which mean he must stay in between 10pm and 4am.

Both men were ordered not to go within 25 metres of the victim.

Items which Gencer bought on his shopping trip to Reading were seized by the police and are to be sold, with the proceeds to be given to the victim.