An alcoholic who has made his parents' life a misery has been jailed for almost two years and made the subject of ten-year anti-social behaviour order after a judge branded him a "thorough-going nuisance."

Bradford Crown Court heard how 39-year-old Joseph McStay had repeatedly broken the terms of an anti-social behaviour order by turning up at his parents' home in Harrogate Road.

In May he kicked some coping stones from off of their garden wall and threw one of them through the windscreen of his father's car.

McStay, of Sowden Road, Heaton, Bradford, pleaded guilty at the city's magistrates court last month to breaching his ASBO and causing criminal damage.

The case was sent to the Crown Court for sentence, after the magistrates were told McStay had 77 previous convictions covering 97 offences.

Yesterday Judge Roger Scott sentenced him to 21 months and 80 days imprisonment, and also imposed a new ten-year ASBO.

The judge told him: "There is every possibility we will meet again, as you are constitutionally incapable of behaving properly in relation to this ASBO.

"I can't lock you up forever, which I would like to do. I can't do that, which is a great shame.

"I think it is time you got a reasonably-long sentence. You will be out halfway, but I can't do anything about that."

Referring to McStay's behaviour towards his parents, Judge Scott said: "You are an absolute, thorough-going nuisance and you are making their life a misery.

"It couldn't be a worse case of this type."

Patrick Gallagher, prosecuting, said that on May 11, McStay arrived at his parents' home, asking for food and money.

He was sent away, but four hours later an ambulance turned up. McStay was drunk in the back of the vehicle and had asked to be dropped off at the address. The police were called and the ambulance left.

About an hour later, McStay's mother went to collect her nine-year-old granddaughter from school and when she arrived home McStay turned up, threatening to break the windows if he was not given money.

He began banging on the windows, making his mother very distressed and the granddaughter "hysterical with fear", said Mr Gallagher. "The police were called, but before they arrived McStay snapped the wing mirrors off his father's car and kicked coping stones off the wall. He then threw one of them through the car windscreen. Officers arrived and had trouble arresting him as he subjected a female officer to "nasty abuse."

For McStay, it was stated that he would often get drunk and be arrested after seeking the help of his parents. When sober, he always regretted his actions and was remorseful.

It was said he was unable to work because of his alcohol dependency.