A WITNESS in a robbery case was threatened on Facebook and warned to drop his evidence, a court has heard.

James Meacher, 19, made the threats to his 17-year-old victim telling him that his life “wouldn’t be worth living” and he would “end up in a ditch,” Cambridge Crown Court heard.

Meacher also left a message on the social networking site saying he did not care if the threats were shown to police.

But they were, and now Meacher has been sent to a young offenders’ institution for eight months.

He was also given two concurrent six-month sentences for unconnected offences of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Passing sentence, Recorder Peter Wallis saidr: “The court takes a most serious view of the intimidation of witnesses.

“It strikes at the very heart of our system of justice.”

Meacher, of Maple Avenue, Sawston, Cambridgeshire, admitted witness intimidation and two assault charges.

The Recorder told him that the 91 days he had spent in custody on remand would count towards his sentence and he was likely to be released in about a month.

Antony Hook, prosecuting, said the Facebook messages sent to the 17-year-old had related to a robbery case against a man referred to only as “Jack”, but on his Facebook site Meacher describes how friend Jack Evans has been arrested for street robbery on April 13.

Mr Hook said the assault incident happened on April 27 – 12 days after the Facebook threats.

The victims, Adam Baker and Ben Rowe, both 20, were drinking outside the King’s Head pub in Sawston when Meacher got out of a car and approached Mr Baker.

Meacher said: “You’ve got a lot of bottle standing in the village.”

He punched Mr Baker hard in the face, causing him to drop his glass, before grabbing his clothing and punching him a further three times.

Mr Rowe was also punched when he tried to intervene.

Both men suffered cuts to the head and face from a signet ring that Meacher was wearing.

Mr Hook said there had been previous verbal abuse and threatening messages from Meacher.

David Pickersgill, defence barrister, said Meacher had been “shocked” when shown photographs of the injuries to the two men.

He said Meacher deeply regretted the incident and the witness intimidation.

He said: “This is a lesson learned and he will not do something like this again.”

However, the young thug’s Facebook account is full of violent and threatening language – and at 10.58pm on the night of the attack on the two men he posted a message saying: “People always get what they deserve in the end no matter how long it takes to come around.”

His exasperated sister told him: “Oh what a clever little brother I have.

Congratulations on getting yourself into trouble yet again big man.”