A man brandished a chainsaw and refused to let a woman out of her home, a court heard.

Raymond Knight attacked the woman and a 12-year-old before refusing to leave and threatening to use the tool.

The woman lost a tooth in the attack, but Knight eventually let police into the West Mersea home and was arrested, Colchester Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.

Knight, 36, turned up at the house on December 21.

Magistrates heard Knight, of Hollands Walk in Vange, Basildon, who admitted the offence, suffers from mental illness and the case was adjourned for reports. He was released on conditional bail and will be sentenced at the court on March 23.

Before leaving the dock, he moaned to magistrates: "I can't keep just coming down here. I live 60 miles away, I do not drive, I do not come out of my house, where's this probation going to be?"

The bench told him he would have to put up with the journeys as the crime was committed in Colchester.

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Published Wednesday, February 23, 2005

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