A man has been jailed after threatening a neighbour and smashing his way into her home in a row over bins.

James Milnes had only been living in Manchester Road, Linthwaite a couple of months when he “exploded in spectacular fashion” his counsel, Anastasis Tassou told Leeds Crown Court.

“What should have been a petty argument over the use of some bins escalated to a terrifying incident.”

John Bull prosecuting said on March 29 when Milnes made comments to Angela Crowther as she was walking past his address. She was on the way to visit her father who also lived nearby. Milnes told her: “Somebody’s messing with my head, somebody’s messing with my bins, tell me who it is.”

Mrs Crowther tried to ignore him and continued to walk on but he began to follow her muttering threats. When he got to the porch of the house where she was going he tried to grab her by the shoulders.

She screamed “leave me alone” and rather than continue into her father’s address decided to return home because of Milnes behaviour.

Mr Bull said Milnes continued to follow her and when she went into her home nearby he tried to force his way inside. She shouted for her husband Bernard and they managed to keep the door closed while he locked it with a key.

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The police were contacted but through the conservatory doors Mrs Crowther could see Milnes was still outside and realised he had a knife in his hand with a 10 inch blade.

He was continuing to shout abuse and picked up a brick which he used to tap on the window before throwing it through one of the glass doors in the conservatory. He then knocked out the remaining broken glass with the knife and climbed inside.

Mr Tassou told the court Milnes had fought a 20-year-battle with drug addiction and the offences committed in that state but for the previous two months prior to March 29 he had been free from Class A drugs.

Milnes, 40, admitted affray, having a bladed article and criminal damage and was jailed for 12 months.

The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC told him: “This was a dreadful thing that happened on the Easter weekend.

“After years of trouble with drugs you were beginning to make some progress all now adrift.”

He said Mrs Crowther must have been terrified to have been followed in that way and then to have had the property attacked. “This must have been a dreadful experience for all those who saw it and made her feel very unsafe in her own home.”