A MAN with a knife who alarmed neighbours by hammering on a woman's door has been jailed for 15 months.

Bolton Crown Court heard how 46-year-old Mark Byron wanted to remain in prison as he would be homeless if released and hopes to sort his life out.

Judge Graeme Smith was told how Byron, who pleaded guilty to possessing a knife, had assaulted the woman only days before the incident and received a caution as she refused to make a complaint to police.

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"The offence was a serious one. You were lucky to only receive a caution for that," the judge told him.

Maria Brennan, prosecuting, told the court how Byron lived on Cecilia Street, Great Lever, and at 1pm on November 22 last year, neighbour Sookie Scannell saw him and another man hammering on the front door of the house opposite, where a woman lives.

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"She then saw him throwing a wheelie bin at the house," said Ms Brennan, who added that Miss Scannell noticed Byron was holding a small kitchen knife.

"The two men went to the rear of the address and were heard to shout, 'I'm going to f***ing kill you. You're going to get it," said Ms Brennan.

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Police arrived and arrested Byron, who denied involvement with the incident and claimed he had spent the day depressed and had taken a large quantity of valium.

Ms Brannan said that six days earlier Byron had been cautioned by police for assaulting the woman whose house he was attacking.

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"The incident was recorded on a phone camera," said Miss Brannan. "The footage shows the defendant repeatedly punching her and bodily picking her up and throwing her to the ground. She offers no resistance.

"Police were called and she was found locked in a bathroom of her house, distressed and bruises about her body and she told police she got the injuries whilst working on her house and did not want to press charges."

The court heard that Byron has no previous convictions for similar offences although, in 2019, he was sentenced after stealing a van and tools belonging to the company he worked for.

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Byron appeared for his latest sentencing via a video link from Forest Bank prison and Colin Buckle, defending, told Judge Smith that he is not asking to be released.

"If Your Honour releases him he will be voluntarily homeless," said Mr Buckle.

"He has identified, clearly in his mind, what is going to happen if he continues to associate with some people.

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"He wants to stay away from his old acquaintances and to stay away from Bolton."It is to his credit that he has identified these flashpoints in his life. He is a man who doesn't usually behave in this way."Jailing him, Judge Smith told Byron: "I am satisfied you have demonstrated a determination to address your offending behaviour by withdrawing from the people you are associating with and taking a realistic view with regard to this sentence."

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