A Maidstone man launched an expletive-laden tirade at his neighbour for praying.

Eulelie Edorh was inside her Barming home with her three children when Mark Sanders walked outside and began hurling racist abuse at her.

Sanders appeared at Maidstone Magistrates' Court on Wednesday charged with using abusive language towards Miss Edorh, who the court heard is of Afro Caribbean descent.

The 47-year-old, of Glebe Lane, started attacking a For Sale sign at the front of the woman's house and said her race was "taking over this country".

Debbie Slater, prosecuting, said other residents in the street came outside to try and calm Sanders down.

The court heard the former carpenter, who moved from his home in London to Kent just five weeks before last month's incident, suffers from mental health issues including a personality disorder.

Debbie Jones, defending, said: "My client said the family next door cause him distress, they always pray, Muslim prayers, which wake him up. They live in a semi-detached property.

"He has very little recollection of the incident. He admits he may have had alcohol, he suffers from memory lapses.

"His mental health care scheme was meant to be transferred here but hasn't been. That has contributed to his feelings of frustration and anger and being let down."

"I keep getting woken up with Allah, Allah, Allah is great" - Mark Sanders

Miss Jones said Sanders felt he was provoked by the family praying which always woke him up in the early hours of the morning.

"He has heard them talking about wanting to get him arrested through the wall," she added.

Miss Slater said terrified Miss Edorh called police from inside her house. "When officers arrived to arrest Mr Sanders they found him standing in the door of his property and he told them: "I keep getting woken up with Allah, Allah, Allah is great" and performed a bowing motion," she added.

The court heard in a police interview Sanders, who has abused solvents since the age of 11 and uses amphetamines, crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana, also made racial slurs about people of Chinese descent.

In a victim impact statement read to the court Miss Edorh said the incident has left her terrified and concerned about what Sanders may do in the future.

Magistrates were told he also has a history of self harming and previously attempted suicide.

He was supervised as part of a Community Mental Health team in London for more than 20 years, but since moving to Kent has not been supported.

A member of the National Probation Service, who interviewed Sanders, said he showed no remorse for his abusive language and expressed clear racist views.

Chairman of the bench, Clive Evans, told Sanders: "We have been told by probation it would be impossible to work with you so a community order is not in question."

After being handed a 36-month conditional discharge Saunders told the magistrates: "Well you're setting me up for a loss."

He must also pay £85 costs, £150 criminal courts charge and £15 victim surcharge.

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