A TAKEAWAY worker stalked his estranged wife for more than two years before threatening her in the street at night with a large kitchen knife.

Jabbir Hussain repeatedly followed Tahera Khusar to work at Asda in Keighley, where he laughed at her and taunted her, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

He encouraged his friends to join in the abuse and had to be escorted from the store by security staff, prosecutor Ken Green said.

Hussain, 46, of North Street, Keighley, shouted rude and insulting names at Mrs Khusar when she walked past the takeaway where he worked and repeatedly harassed her on the phone, forcing her to change her number.

On April 25 this year, he again pursued her when she left work at Asda at 10.30pm.

He called out her name and confronted her in the street, before drawing a large kitchen knife.

Hussain, who was drunk, held the weapon to her face and chest.

Mrs Khusar, 45, was terrified she was going to be injured, although the weapon did not actually touch her.

Hussain left the scene but later turned up outside her home, "shouting, swearing and carrying on", Mr Green said.

The court heard he was knocked unconscious hours later when two men meted out summary justice.

Hussain pleaded guilty on September 3, the day he was set to stand trial, to stalking Mrs Khusar, between November 2012 and April this year, and possession of an offensive weapon in Bradford Road, Keighley.

Mr Green said the couple had been married for 24 years and had five children.

It was an on-off relationship, marred by Hussain's drinking, with numerous police call-outs to the family home.

Mrs Khusar took out a non-molestation order and the couple lived apart from 2012.

Hussain had previous convictions for common assault and driving with excess alcohol.

He was in breach of a conditional discharge for assaulting a police officer.

Hussain's barrister, Allan Armbrister, said he had been in custody for 27 weeks.

He conceded Hussain had acted appallingly and his wife was sick and tired of him.

The relationship was over and Hussain had dried out while in prison on remand.

"This was a drunken man waving a knife around with no intention of using it," Mr Armbrister said.

Judge Mark Savill sentenced Hussain to a two year community order, with 150 hours of unpaid work.

He must attend the Building Better Relationships Programme and an alcohol treatment course.

Judge Savill made a restraining order banning Hussain from contacting Mrs Khusar until further order.