Neighbour tried to hit mum on head with fossil hammer after making threats to kill her baby

Jake Hoaksey swung the weapon at the woman's head after hurling racist abuse and threats towards her family.

A court heard the 28-year old also threw a fire bomb into the victim's home during a separate incident.

Hoaksey swung the hammer at the woman during a terrifying disturbance outside her home in Castleford on June 23 last year.

He told the woman: "I can't see my baby, so I am going to kill you and your baby.

"I am going to smash your head in and your baby.

"I am going to kill you all and burn your house."

Leeds Crown Court the incident took place outside the victim's home on Rye Way, Airedale.

Hoaksey, who lived next door to the woman, began shouting abuse through the window of his home to people outside.

The defendant then shouted abuse at the woman as she was in the garden.

He said: "I am going to kill you and rag you around by your pink hair."

Hoaksey told the woman that he was "not bothered" that she had a baby and that he was going to smash her against a wall.

The victim's mother and her mother's partner then tried to intervene to calm the situation.

Hoaksey continued to shout threats and said he was going to kick the woman to death in her kitchen.

He also told the family to "f*** off" back to Poland.

Christopher Dunn, prosecuting, said Hoaksey then came downstairs holding a hammer that was similar to one used to "crack open fossils".

He walked into the woman's garden and swung the weapon at her, narrowly missing her head.

The woman ran inside and called police.

Mr Dunn said: "When the police attended she disclosed to them that the defendant had come in to her garden two years previously and threw a fire bomb in to the kitchen while the door was open.

"Remarkably it did not cause damage.

"The reason she gave for not reporting it was that she did not want to cause problems to the neighbours."

The prosecutor said Hoaksey was arrested and gave "odd" responses in interview.

He claimed he did not have a problem with Polish people and said the victim's account of the incident was "plain lies."

Hoaksey, of Rye Street, pleaded guilty to affray and possession of an offensive weapon.

Mr Dunn said: "The incident has had a considerable impact on the complainant.

"If he went back to the property, they would move."

The court heard Hoaksey was the subject of a conditional discharge at the time of the incident.

Andrew Pettison, mitigating, said Hoaksey was suffering from a mental condition which was made worse by his abuse of cannabis and alcohol.

He said: "This is not an offence motivated by racist views.

"It was a neighbour dispute."

Mr Pettison said Hoaksey had been in custody on remand during the seven months since his arrest.

Hoaksey was jailed for two years and two months.

Judge Simon Batiste told Hoaksey he was imposing the prison sentence as he had a duty to protect the public.

He said "The facts of this case are worrying.

"The offences themselves are serious offences of their type.

"A person is entitled to feel safe in and around their home and garden.

"As a result of your offending, it is quite clear that your neighbour felt anything but.

"The impact of your behaviour has been so profound, and to such an extent, that if you were able to return to your former home they would be moving straight away."

Hoaksey was also made the subject of a restraining order, without limit of time, banning him from contacting the victim or approaching her family.