A NORTH Petherton man who suffers with Asberger’s Syndrome has been jailed for unleashing months of verbal abuse at his elderly neighbour.

Andrew Le Marchand, 43, of Baymead Meadow appeared via videolink at Taunton Crown Court.

Le Marchand, who has mental health difficulties, perceived his neighbour, a woman in her 60’s who lived alone, was making too much noise and he would react with angry tirades, shouting through the walls.

Harry Ahuja, speaking for the prosecution, said: “He said he was provoked and accused her of punching the walls.”

His neighbour started to record his tirades in which he threatened to kill her.

After being visited by police and Homes in Sedgemoor about his behaviour, Le Marchand went straight back and angrily shouted at his neighbour ‘I don’t give a flying **** about the council, they will find you a dead person in your bungalow’.

The victim said she feared for her life, and even wrote a letter to her children in case something happened to her.

The behaviour lasted around six months from September last year.

In a victim impact statement she said she would creep around her flat as not to disturb him, and had taken steps to make her property more secure including having a six foot fence erected and adding padlocked gates.

During the hearing Le Marchard’s anger issues were clear to see as he was shouting and angrily gesticulating while the evidence was being read out.

William Light, defending Le Marchand, said: “His mental health problems do reduce his culpability.

“His Asperger’s means he has a warped perception of other people’s actions and can respond with outbursts of verbal aggression.

“He knows what he has done is wrong and said a lot of things he is not proud of.”

Judge Paul Cook said he took Le Marchand’s mental health into account and guilty plea into account when sentencing.

“Your neighbour was left in a state of terror and did not feel safe within her own home,” Judge Cook said.

Le Marchand was sentenced to 10 months in prison and to pay £150 victim surcharge.