A MAN who terrified neighbours by threatening them with violence and saying he was going to kill them has been ordered to pay compensation and carry out unpaid work.

Appearing before Skipton magistrates for sentencing, Dempsey Davitt, formerly of Cononley, but now living in Harewood Road, Keighley, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to using threatening, abusive, insulting words and behaviour with intent to cause fear of violence against a couple living in Haw Croft, Cononley.

Prosecuting, Nadine Clough said the incident on February 17 this year had escalated following an argument last year about a greenhouse.

She said in February Davitt had attended the address where the couple captured him on CCTV banging on the doors and windows and shouting abuse including a threat to kill.

Footage was shown to the court showing Davitt, 27, adopting boxing postures on a number of occasions during the clip.

“The door had been so damaged due to being kicked that the keys wouldn’t work properly and the locks had to be changed,” Ms Clough told the bench.

The court also heard Davitt’s former partner lived next door whom he had a on-off relationship with in the past and who is mother to his three children.

Davitt was also in breach of a domestic violence protection order and had had two periods of time in prison for its breach. The incident on February 17 was following his second jail term.

Defending, Keigh Blackwell said the dispute between his client and the neighbours was because he had been told the man had made threats towards his children.

“He made threatening gestures and he regrets that,” said Mr Blackwell, adding that since his last hearing on April 9 he had got a job and was living with his grandmother in Keighley. She was not well and it was beneficial to her that he was there.

Mr Blackwell told the bench that Davitt would benefit from a rehabilitation activity requirement rather than a jail term.

Magistrates gave Davitt an 18 month community order with a requirement of 25 days rehabilitation activities as well as ordering him to complete 200 hours’ unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay compensation of £500 to the female neighbour for the mental anguish she had suffered.

He must also pay a surcharge of £95.

The crown prosecution service said it would not make a request for costs if a compensation order was made. A restraining order not to enter Haw Croft, Cononley, or contact the complainants as part of his initial bail conditions remains in place.