A MASKED man wielding an axe was paid £70 to join a gang attack on houses and cars that caused more than £15,000 damage, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Faheem Ahmed and two armed accomplices smashed the windows of two properties in Ferncliffe Drive, Utley, Keighley, and damaged two BMWs in the wrecking spree at about 8pm on April 19.

Ahmed, a taxi firm radio operator, arrived with the two other males in a Volvo car, prosecutor Alisha Kaye said.

He wore a black ski mask and wielded the axe in the attack that left 11 windows shattered at one of the houses.

Ahmed, 23, of Cross Flatts Avenue, Leeds, left his blood at one of the houses and on a car. He was apprehended but the other two males had not been identified, the court was told.

Miss Kaye said there were children present in the attacked property and the victim’s father, who lived close by, had his home and car damaged as well.

Ahmed was arrested on April 27 and said he was out of work and paid £70 to help to smash the windows.

He did not know the people whose houses and cars he damaged and refused to name his accomplices.

The court heard that £12,360 damage was done to the properties and £3,260 damage to one of the cars.

Ahmed pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damage and to possession of the axe as an offensive weapon.

A victim impact statement from the householder said the incident had left him unable to sleep and he didn’t like leaving his home. His father, who witnessed the attack on the houses, was upset and distressed.

Ahmed’s barrister, Jessica Heggie, said his immaturity was demonstrated by the fact that he was willing to carry out such serious offences for such a small sum of money.

He had since secured the job with the taxi firm and was working up to six days a week.

Miss Heggie conceded that his behaviour had been stupid but the probation service felt he had a good chance of rehabilitation.

Judge Colin Burn sentenced Ahmed to 14 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 180 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity days.

He said the householder and his family must have been ‘scared out of their wits’ by three masked men arriving to smash up their property.

“It has all the hallmarks of some organised gang activity,” he stated.

But there was no evidence that Ahmed knew anything about that.