A Hampton man who terrorised his neighbours with his criminal behaviour to the point where a little girl began wetting the bed has been sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work.

Nathan Pearse, 40, of Mason Close, pleaded guilty to common assault by beating, a public disorder offence, failing to provide a sample testing for a class A drug, and causing criminal damage today (November 22) at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court.

Since he has been living there, residents in Mason close have been “fearing for their safety” while he slashed someone’s tyres, punched someone in the back of the head, smashed all the windows in someone’s car, and used “threatening and abusive” language, the court heard.

Pearse also used a threatening gesture to one resident by imitating cutting his throat with a knife.

During proceedings, Prosecutor Trevor Green read out one victim’s statement.

It read: “Although I’ve had no physical injuries, the emotional toll has been great.

“I get very anxious and nervous when I get to the door, I feel like he’s going to hurt me.

“I dream about him in a negative way. I’m constantly worried and confused.

“My child has been affected by this, teachers at her school have started to notice.

“She’s always talking about the ‘bad man’ next door. She’s started wetting the bed again.”

Pearse had pleaded not guilty to two of the offences on Monday, November 20, at the same court, but changed his plea today.

Another resident, who does not want to be named, told the Richmond and Twickenham Times she was so anxious she had to leave the area and live with her sister.

She said: “I lost my job after he went on a rampage.

“An innocent man was punched in the head.

“We are all afraid.

“I closed a window once and he said if you slam that window, I’ll slam your head.

“This isn’t acceptable. If it was me harassing people like this I wouldn’t have a home anymore.

“It’s like we’re invisible.”

A restraining order was discussed in court, but the prosecutor said “the problem is they are neighbours- it’s only setting Mr Pearse up to fail”.

Pearse, who refused the offer of being represented by a solicitor, was given a conditional discharge for two years, 100 hours of unpaid community work and ordered to pay a total of £150 in compensation to two neighbours.