A man who made the life of his family members a living misery through threats of violence and abuse landed himself in custody.

Joshua Ahmed spent more than nine months on remand after he was arrested when he kicked off and threatened to smash windows.

The 25-year-old tormented his mother and grandmother for more than a year due to his drug misuse.

Cainan Lonsdale, prosecuting, said his family had been left frightened by his behaviour when he became angry and started making threats.

He said: “The defendant was temporarily housed by his mother and he had begun to make threats to cause criminal damage to the house and demanded money. On that occasion, he was in possession of a knife and this frightened his mother and brother.”

On another occasion Ahmed turned up at her home and demanded money before he left the area when the police were called.

Over a four-month period last year, the defendant continually turned up at her home and behaved in the same way kicking and banging on the door several times a day, Mr Lonsdale said.

The court heard how Ahmed turned up again later in the year and stole his mother’s mobile phone before walking away.

Mr Lonsdale said the defendant was arrested in November when he again banged on her door and threatening to smash her window before breaking one of the windows in her home and again grabbing her mobile phone.

The lawyer said the defendant threatened to smash up his grandmother’s house while he was on the phone to his mother.

Ahmed, of Grendon Walk, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to harassment between July 2022 and November 2023; affray; theft from person; threatened to destroy property and criminal damage.

Nicci Horton, mitigating, said her client had spent more than nine months in custody – the equivalent of a 20-month sentence - while on remand and urged the judge to pass a community order to enable him to continue to improve his lifestyle.

Judge Tom Mitchell imposed a two-year community order with 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days to help him continue to turn his life around.

He said: “Over a long period, towards members of your family, you were engaged in harassment, threats, bullying, intimidation, and on one occasion there was reference to threats with a knife.

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“What really happens, is you made demands for money or food and it's wearing people down. When they don’t give into you, your behaviour escalates and it just gets worse and worse.

“In November 2023, you really did get much worse, you smashed a window, you stole a phone and you were engaged in public thuggery.

“There was no actual violence but there was plenty of threat of it.”

Ahmed was issued with a two-year restraining order to protect his two victims.