A MAN attacked in his Bradford home by a group of men late at night was threatened ‘we’re going to cut your head off’ after he was punched and a door smashed off its hinges.

Thomas Farndale was one of the intruders who forced their way into the house in Clayton Heights at 11pm on May 17, 2021, Bradford Crown Court heard on Monday.

Farndale, 37, of Cooper Lane, Buttershaw, Bradford, was originally charged with aggravated burglary but his guilty plea to affray was accepted by the Crown.

David Hall, prosecuting, told the court that he and two others tried to force their way into the man’s home but didn’t succeed.

They returned shortly afterwards and barged their way in, assaulting the man and doing £100 damage to the kitchen door.

The police were alerted and while officers were in attendance at the address, a phone call was received by the victim saying: ‘Where do you want to be buried? We’re going to cut your head off. How’s the kitchen door?’ Mr Hall said Farndale had a lengthy criminal record for offences including assaulting the police.

Paul Canfield said in mitigation that he had spent the equivalent of an eight-month prison sentence on remand in HMP Leeds.

Farndale believed his victim had made derogatory comments about his family. It was a brief incident with minimal injury.

He had made big strides while in custody to address his drug and alcohol problems.

Judge Ahmed Nadim said Farndale had a grievance against the man and he and others tried to barge their way into his home late at night.

Twenty minutes later, they reappeared and succeeded in forcing entry. The man was punched and the kitchen door was damaged.

The men then left but while the police were there, the threatening phone call was made.

Judge Nadim said the offence was committed late at night and the victim was punched repeatedly while he was on the floor.

Farndale had taken alcohol or drugs beforehand.

But while on remand, he had attended courses to address his failings and it was now time for him to take advantage of help from the probation service.

He was sentenced to a community order for 18 months with 12 months of drugs rehabil-itation and a rehabilitation activity requirement.