A man who’d had a dispute with his neighbours over parking got drunk and started battering down their front door with a sledgehammer.

Matthew Fox, 31, also took a hammer with him to Mr and Mrs High’s address in Ribblesdale View, Chatburn in the early hours of July 3.

Preston Crown Court was told that Fox had regularly parked his van outside the High’s home, but when Bruce High asked him not to do it anymore, Fox proceeded to park extremely close to the High’s car.

Prosecuting, Peter Barr said: “Matters reached a head in July last year when Mr High went round to the defendant’s house to knock on his door in the hope of being able to chat with Fox about the parking.

“The defendant didn’t answer, and Mr High went home.

“Then at around 2.30am on July 3, Mr High, his wife Lyn and their son Robert were asleep, when Fox took it upon himself to arm himself with a sledgehammer and a ball peen hammer and batter Mr High’s door in view to gaining access to the house.

“While he’s smashing the door, he wakes the Highs up and can be heard shouting abuse such as ‘I am going to kill you’.”

Mr Barr said the police were called and the hammers were recovered at the scene.

Fox, of Downham Road, Chatburn, said he was eight out of 10 drunk and was angry and mad.

He has no previous convictions but made full admissions to the offences, pleading guilty to affray, criminal damage and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon.

Judge Simon Medland KC said: “The reason why you did this is that you lost your temper having brooded over a parking dispute of which the Highs were blameless. You made trouble where there was none.

“You have lost your good character and you will pay for it.”

Fox was handed eight months in prison suspended for two years, ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work, was made subject to a five year restraining order against the Highs and was told to pay £3,000 in compensation to Bruce High.