Stranger threatened to kill mum and kids

A court was told how drunken Jonathan Shamshad put his foot in the door so the woman couldn’t close it. Her children were screaming and hiding under their bed covers and her frightened nine-year-old daughter called the police.

When officers turned up, Shamshad still had his foot in the door and was shouting: “I will kill everybody in there and I will kill the dog.”

The defendant’s “bizarre” behaviour was outlined to Burnley magistrates, who were told a bottle of vodka could be behind it. Shamshad claimed he had gone to reprimand two men who had verbally abused him, but had got the wrong house.

Single dad Shamshad, of Pine Street, Nelson, admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour on April 22. He was fined £120, with £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Mrs Alex Mann, prosecuting, said: “Its a very strange set of circumstances. The police and the lady whose door he was knocking on have mentioned a bottle of vodka. There was no reason for him to go round to this lady’s house.”

The prosecutor said the victim was watching TV at 11pm when there was a knock on the door. She opened it, thinking it was a friend, but Shamshad put his foot in the door.

Mrs Mann told the bench: “As you can imagine, she says she was terrified. Her children were hiding under the bed covers and she says she was shaking and crying.” She added Shamshad had previous convictions involving drink.

Mr John Rusius, defending, said Shamshad has been drinking and went to the shop for some cigarettes. Two men outside had been abusive to him and had thrown something at him.

He saw them go into a house and went to reprimand them. He knocked on the door, it was opened and he put his foot in the door and started shouting.

Mr Rusius continued: “Unfortunately, he’s got the wrong house, it seems because of the alcohol. He says he’s terribly sorry for this lady as obviously he got the wrong house. He didn’t mean anything by it. The state he was in he probably wasn’t capable of doing anything anyway.

“He can only apologise. It’s a rather bizarre and unusual case, one which he very much regrets.”