A LANDSCAPER smashed up a car and part of a house where a family was inside in a "revenge attack", York Crown Court heard.

Kyle Johnston, 20, and a woman threw bricks at the living room window while a terrified mother, her son and dog were hiding in the kitchen, said Rachel Kelly, prosecuting. 

Her stepson, fearing he would have to defend himself, grabbed an axe and hid behind the living room door.

Johnston had taken cocaine and been drinking before the onslaught in a residential  cul-de-sac in north York.

He and the stepson had been arguing on social media.

Defence barrister Vincent Blake-Barnard, acting on Johnston's instructions, claimed the woman, who was not prosecuted, had egged Johnston on to carry out the action.

He claimed she had told Johnston: “If you were a man, you would go and sort this out now.”

Johnston, who works as a landscaper, of Fieldside Place, off Hull Road, York, pleaded guilty to affray and criminal damage.

Judge Simon Hickey said the attack was a “revenge attack”.

Johnston had smashed windows and side panels of the house’s living room bay window.

“Not satisfied with that, the car was then smashed up as well. Shocking,” said the judge.

He made Johnston subject to a 10-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months on condition he does a 19-session rehabilitation programmes, 15 days’ rehabilitative activities and 100 hours’ unpaid work.

The judge told Johnston: “You smash up a car and house, you can pay for what you have done” as he ordered him to pay £3,815.35 compensation.

Ms Kelly said Johnston and the stepson argued over social media on January 25.

The stepson went to Johnston’s house where he was told Johnston wasn’t in. Minutes after he left, Johnston returned home.

The stepson received a phone call from a woman whose voice he didn’t recognise saying he had threatened someone at her house.

Shortly afterwards, Johnston and the woman with him were at the stepson's door saying “come on, then, come on then” and Johnston was waving a plank in his hand and making threats.

The pair threw bricks at the living room bay window and caused £1,008 damage to it and its surround before causing £2,807.35 damage to the car.

Mr Blake Barnard said: “The defendant is incredibly remorseful and ashamed of what took place that day.”

The triggers for his action had been his drinking, drug-taking and his companion’s comments to him.

The case had been a “massive wake-up call” for Johnston and he was no longer associating with his companion or drinking.