A man who embarked on a relentless campaign of harassment which caused his neighbour to fear for his life has been ordered to undergo mental health treatment.

Maidstone Magistrates' Court was told Hircin Ozata hounded him and his wife for four years, culminating in a bizarre stand-off in the Sittingbourne street where the pair lived.

He had previously admitted criminal damage and threatening behaviour, although insisted his actions were the result of provocation by his neighbour.

The court was told matters came to a head in June when the victim, who runs a Queenborough-based haulage company, was driving his lorry outside his Lydbrook Close home and was forced to stop because Ozata was standing in the road.

Kumud Singh, prosecuting, said 40-year-old Ozata tried to pull open the cab door while shouting vile abuse at the driver and threatened him.

The victim was able to hold the door shut but the inside door handle snapped off, causing £200 of damage.

Mrs Singh said the pair had come to blows on a number of occasions over the four years Ozata had lived in the street, with the disagreement stemming from an incident when the victim's wife had complained about Ozata’s dog barking through the night.

Ozata refused to speak to her and asked for her husband.

Mrs Singh read a statement from the victim in which he said he no longer felt safe in his own home.

He said he genuinely felt Ozata would kill him if he got his hands on him while in a rage, adding he seemed to develop “super human strength” during these episodes.

The case had earlier been adjourned to allow for a mental health report, and the judge imposed a six-month community order requiring Ozata to undergo treatment or face another trip to court.

A restraining order was also put in place banning the father-of-one from contacting the victim or his wife or going to their house. He must also pay £270.