'Neighbour from hell' Ian Sims stood naked in his street brandishing a mallet and shouting abuse and threats - after his towel fell off, a court heard.
At first people were amused by the sight of Sims, 31, running out of his house wearing just a towel and waving a mallet, Gloucester Crown Court was told.
But amusement turned to alarm as foul-mouthed Sims shouted a death threat at his next door neighbour's daughter and walked towards her brandishing the mallet with one hand while holding the towel in the other.
Jobless dad-of-five Sims, who has now moved from Swan Road, Gloucester, to Parkside Close, Churchdown, pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon in public. The prosecution did not proceed with a charge of using threatening behaviour.
Prosecutor Janine Wood said it was on the evening of April 19 last year that a row broke out among parents in Swan Road about an incident that occurred during a football game between local youngsters on Kingsholm Park, Gloucester.
Mrs Malgovzata Tudev, whose son had been involved in the football game, was outside her grandmother's house when Sims ran out of his home next door wearing only a towel and shouting aggressively, said Mrs Wood.
"He made threats to Mrs Tudev such as 'I am going to kill you, I'll show you, you f*****g bitch.'
"His towel dropped off and she was initially amused but then she saw the mallet in his hand and he walked towards her with the mallet held over his head. He was holding his towel in one hand and the mallet in the other."
Mrs Wood said that later Mrs Tudev told police: "The incident scared me because something very similar happened to me when I lived in Poland I which my Dad was hurt. I feel sorry for my Nan because she has to put up with these neighbours all the time."
When police arrived in the street Sims had gone back inside his home, she said. They found him to be 'agitated and shaking' when they arrested him.
Mrs Wood said Sims told police: "I would have punched her in the mouth but I wouldn't have attacked her with the hammer.'"
Judge Jamie Tabor QC commented: "Not with a hammer but he would punch a lady in the mouth - that's very gentlemanly."
He added: "I suppose the fact he was naked at the time doesn't count as an aggravating feature of the offence?"
Sarah Jenkins, defending, said there had been 'issues' between children playing in a football game and Sims' son had complained about what happened.
"There had been ongoing problems about that," she said.
Judge Tabor retorted: "He has ongoing problems wherever he lives. He has heroin and cocaine addictions, he has a dog which doesn't appear to be very well controlled, and he blames everyone else for everything.
"He is a neighbour from hell. That is one way of looking at it - and it's the way I'm looking at it."
He said a pre-sentence report on Sims showed he had moved home 'time and time again'.
Ms Jenkins said: "He has difficulties resolving confrontations. But this incident occurred some time ago and a whole host of changes have taken place in his life. He has moved address with his partner and children and there have been no neighbour issues since he moved. He has accessed Turning Point and has been clean of drugs for a number of months.
"There are five children in the family and his partner is expecting again. He has a job waiting and ready to go as a general labourer."
Judge Tabor told Sims: "Last April you were a neighbour from hell. This was absolutely disgraceful behaviour. But the most important thing is you have started to address your drug problems yourself and that undoubtedly was a source of many of the problems. "
He gave Sims a four months jail sentence suspended for two years with two years supervision including a 30 day training programme called Resolve. He also ordered him to pay £250 costs and an £80 surcharge.
