A MAN who woke a sleeping mother in the middle of the night to shout abuse at her and tell her there was a bomb in her home has appeared at court.

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard that Stephen Lee Short made the threats whilst outside The Greyhound pub in Ferryhill on the evening of Wednesday, February 19.

He also told the victim she 'was dead' and threatened to bring his brother for a fight.

John Garside, prosecuting, said: “After hearing loud banging [the victim] has looked out of the window and seen the defendant stood outside.

“He was shouting ‘there’s a bomb in your [the victim’s] house and I’m glad’.

“She says she became very concerned and scared about the threats.

“He was saying she was dead and calling her a slag and he was asking for a fight, saying that he would get his brother to come down.

“She says she has known the defendant for approximately 20 years as he has been coming into the pub.”

The victim said in a statement: “I am very upset by what has happened.

"This isn’t the first time that something like this has happened and I am scared.

“I’m scared in case he comes into the pub and confronts me and now I feel like I don’t want to work here anymore.”

Short’s solicitor said the 32-year-old was seeking revenge after the victim had made fun of his speech impediment.

He said: “He says she made him feel hurt and belittled and he, rather naively, wanted to make her feel her the same way that she had made him feel.

“This is a 32-year-old male who suffers with complex mental health issues, including multiple personality disorder and depression, and he is currently in the care of professionals.

“He has the mental age of a nine-year-old and that’s why he has behaved this way in response to these issues which have affected him..

“He denies making any threats of there being a bomb in the property, however he does accept that he has behaved inappropriately on the evening in question.

"The whole incident only lasted around five to ten minutes, it was not prolonged, it was over fairly quickly and there was no weapon produced."

The defendant, of Mills Buildings, Ferryhill, pleaded guilty to using threatening and abusive words to cause alarm and distress.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £30 compensation to the victim. Magistrates also imposed a restraining order.