A former company boss has been jailed after he held an employee at gunpoint and fired a blank close to the side of his face.

Jamie Oakes had accused the victim, who was a member of his staff, of stealing several dirt bikes and quad bikes from his home in Green Street Green Road, Dartford.

Instead of reporting his suspicions to police the 37-year-old looked to seek his own justice on the morning of May 23 last year.

Accompanied by another woman who joined the attack, they took the man to the back of Oakes’ property where they reportedly punched and kicked him.

During the incident Oakes revealed a blank firing pistol and started pulling the trigger near the victim's face, leaving burns on the side of his face.

Oakes then left but soon returned with a shotgun and threatened to shoot the victim if they did not give the location of the stolen vehicles.

The company boss also threatened to kill the victim’s family but the man managed to escape and returned home to his address.

At around 8.30pm he became aware several cars were in the area and people were looking for him. He left his address and Kent Police was informed about the incident.

The next day two warrants were carried out in the evening, one at Oakes’ address in Green Street Green and the second in Hillside Road, Dartford.

While at Oakes’ address officers found several items including a baseball bat, a large knife, several knuckle dusters, a case for a blank firing pistol, 9mm blank firing bullets, two air rifles and three shotgun cartridges.

During the warrant in Hillside, Dartford, officers found eight shotgun cartridges hidden in a bread bag inside a wardrobe. They also seized clothing that matched the description of one of the offenders.

Oakes was later charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon.

He denied the charges but was jailed for three-and-a-half years following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court which concluded on February 2.

Charlotte Powell, 34, also of Green Street Green Road, Dartford, was charged with assault by beating and actual bodily harm. She was given a two-year conditional discharge.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Colin Page said: “This was a violent and frightening incident in which the victim was targeted by people he knew and trusted.

“Oakes inflicted multiple injuries on the victim and used weapons to intimidate him and scare him. He did not act alone in this incident but he inflicted the most violence on the victim and his sentence is reflective of the seriousness of his offending.”