A MERSEYSIDE man has been found guilty of forcing a family to flee to Ireland after threatening to burn down their home.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Dominic Kearns targeted the family of Jason Cullen, 19, after he began to buy cocaine off him.

A jury yesterday took just over three hours to unanimously convict Kearns of one count of blackmail with menace from January 15.

However, they cleared him of a further charge of blackmail connected with threats the family claimed he had made during 2007.

The jury was told that after a series of escalating cash demands, Kearns had visited the Wirral family earlier this year demanding £7,000 and the logbook for the family car.

When Jason’s mother Paula refused to hand them over, Kearns, 24, pointed to the man next to him and said he had a gun.

Graham Pickavance, prosecuting, said threats to shoot and burn the family home down were made. The family were so terrified they were taken to a police safe house, before fleeing to Ireland. They had returned to Merseyside for the trial.

When Kearns was arrested documents connected with Ms Cullen’s car were found at his flat. He was also picked out of an identity parade by three members of the family.

During his evidence, Kearns, of Coniston Street, Anfield, claimed he had been at a Liverpool Cup game on the day of the blackmail.