A MAN who daubed black paint over his neighbour's door as an "act of revenge" against their son was sentenced to 100 hours community service yesterday.

Bishop Auckland magistrates heard how Stephen Lawson, 41, of Station Street, Shildon, County Durham, felt the son had been harassing him.

Lorraine Mustard, prosecuting, said Lawson's neighbour woke on Friday, September 15 to find the glass in his front door blacked out with paint. Later, police later found a piece of kitchen roll with black paint on, at the bottom of Lawson's kitchen bin.

The court heard that Lawson felt he was the victim of provocation and harassment and had been forced to take action as his disabled mother was becoming distressed.

He pleaded guilty to criminal damage and breaching a two-year conditional discharge imposed last March for harassing his next door neighbour, a young mother, a month after being released from prison for attacking her.

Magistrates told Lawson, who was also ordered to pay £100 compensation, that they had been "influenced by the aggravating factors of his previous record".

Lawson was dubbed "a neighbour from hell" by one prosecutor when he appeared before magistrates in October 1996, while living at Kitchener Street, Darlington. He was convicted of damaging neighbours' cars.

In 1998, he hit his neighbour with a piece of wood, causing an eye wound which needed six stitches.

He was jailed for 12 months, but a month after his release, he continued to play loud music and bang on the walls.

After yesterday's hearing, Lawson said he had been the victim of a hate campaign at Kitchener Street.