A 56-year-old man burst into the home of a disabled Kidderminster woman, smashed a chair and threatened her with a chair leg.

Malcolm Calder, who had been drinking, was eventually restrained and calmed down by his teenage son Scott, who happened to be at the premises, said Patrick Sullivan, prosecuting at Worcester Crown Court, Calder, of Maureen Aston Court, Broad Street, Kidderminster, pleaded guilty to blackmail - attempting to get money by menaces.

When he entered the home of Beverley Wareing in Windsor Drive at 7pm on February 23 this year he said he was angry because she owed him £300. Miss Wareing,who suffered from ME, was upset when he broke the chair and threatened her with a leg.

Michael Aspinall, for Calder, said he had loaned her the money but he wanted it back because he was worried about his own rent arrears. He had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

He had been in a relationship with Miss Wareing and he wanted the money returned to stop a bid to repossess his flat.

Although he had previous court appearances, he was not a high-level offender. He had problems with alcohol. He had periods of abstinence in a bid to deal with his drink problem. Normally, he locked himself away and did not share his problems with anybody.

His family appreciated this and had told him to get in touch with them in future Recorder Nicolas Cartwright ordered Calder to undergo six months treatment for his alcohol problem. He imposed a 12-month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered him to pay £250 compensation for the damage he had caused. He also made a five-year restraining order to prevent Calder contacting Miss Wareing.