A knife-wielding thug smashed a 14-year-old girl in the face with a paving slab during a terrifying rampage in the street outside his home.

Connor Silver, 28, knocked the teenager off her bicycle with the block and threatened to kill her after she found herself innocently caught up in his drug-fuelled frenzy.

A woman who stepped in to calm him down was also punched in the face, while a police taser failed to stop him in his tracks.

His actions have now landed him behind bars for more than three years.

Canterbury Crown Court heard the violence erupted in May last year when Silver tossed a brick through the windscreen of an oncoming BMW in Lower Northdown Avenue, Cliftonville, near Margate.

When the driver fled, Silver gave chase with a knife and threatened to kill him.

He caused £3,000 worth of damage to the car before launching rocks at another BMW, which cost £400 to repair.

He continued screaming threats to kill and waving around the knife, so a good Samaritan drew a crowbar from his garage and tried diverting the menace.

A neighbour who recognised the defendant then tried using their Chrysler to cut-off his path.

But Silver threw a paving slab at the car, punched the bonnet, and then struck the driver-side windscreen with a knife in his hand before turning his attention to a young girl.

Prosecutor Iestyn Morgan said: "A 14-year-old girl was on a pushbike, she was approached by the defendant, he had no top on shouting he was going to kill her.

“He then hit her in the face with a paving slab, causing her to come off her bicycle and cause cuts to her face."

The girl was rushed to the QEQM hospital and treated for swelling and cuts to her face and head.

Support worker Catherine Todd approached Silver and tried calming him down, asking if he was OK.

“He responded by punching her in the face causing pain and bleeding,” Mr Morgan added.

Police rushed to the scene to find Silver waving the kitchen knife and continuing his fury, but when one officer brandished a taser he refused to drop the blade.

Silver, high on drink and drugs, was tasered but the high voltage had little effect and he fled.

A police patrol then tried obstructing Silver’s path but he evaded the blockade and slashed the windscreen with the blade.

The court heard during the 20-minute rampage Silver threw a drink over another woman.

He was shortly arrested at his home in the same avenue and the kitchen knife was found in his garden.

Silver claimed he was spiked in a police interview but later admitted to being in the midst of a drink and drugs binge.

Psychiatric reports showed no evidence of mental health issues, the prosecution said.

But Michael Hillman, mitigating, argued Silver suffers psychiatric problems and personality difficulties after long-term drug use.

“My client has been using cannabis since the age of 12 and cocaine aged 14," he said.

“He has gone down the path of using alcohol and drugs and found himself in a position where he lost control.”

But Judge Catherine Brown said Silver had showed no remorse and the ordeal was "absolutely terrifying for everyone involved".

“You appear to be someone who is entirely self-centred with no regard to the rights of other people," she added.

"I sing aloud Marec Polak and Rafel Rozek who tried to intervene with no personal regard to their safety."

A total of six cars, including the police vehicle, were damaged.

Silver, who has three previous convictions for eight offences, was acquitted of causing wounding with intent but convicted of the lesser charge of unlawful wounding after a trial.

He pleaded not guilty to assault by beating, five counts of criminal damage, possession of a blade and affray.

“I want him to know I don’t have anything against him. I know it wasn’t personal against me. I hope he seeks help and gets it...."

Ms Todd told the court: “I feel bad for him. It was someone who had clearly lost control and it was scary, but it could have been much worse.

“I want him to know I don’t have anything against him. I know it wasn’t personal against me. I hope he seeks help and gets it.”

Appearing by video-link from HMP Elmley wearing a grey jacket, Silver spoke to confirm his name and request clarity on his case.

The year already spent on remand will be deducted from his sentence.

Judge Brown imposed a restraining order preventing Silver from contacting Ms Todd for three years.

Silver was also sentenced for a separate rampage five months before the Lower Northdown Avenue ordeal.

After a drinking binge he stopped traffic in Margate, punched a taxi driver in the face, stole another driver's keys and spat at two officers.

During the crime spree he waved down a taxi driver and punched him in the face.

He then took the keys from another car, said “you’ve been mugged”, and threw them away.

When Silver fled three members of the public were able to detain him.

Silver admitted two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, common assault and racial aggravation at magistrates earlier this year.

On Friday, he was sentenced to a total of three years and 80 days in prison and fined £180.

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