A NIGHTMARE neighbour has been jailed for 16 months for making a Bradford woman’s life ‘an absolute misery’ by setting off fireworks and playing loud music just hours after being sentenced for previously harassing her.

Lance Winkle, 53, was imprisoned for six months on March 10 but he had already served the time on a tagged curfew and he was allowed home with a four-year restraining order banning him from contacting or approaching the woman and her young son.

Today, Bradford Crown Court heard that at 3am the next day, he set light to a box containing about 60 fireworks outside the woman’s window causing explosions and flashes.

Prosecutor Shannon Woodley said mother and son barricaded themselves in the kitchen and the boy asked if they were going to be killed.

Winkle then deliberately played loud music for about four hours and he was later caught on CCTV throwing stones and cigarette butts at his neighbour’s door.

Footage also showed him making abusive gestures and tampering with the CCTV equipment.

A few days later, he was filmed spitting at the door of his neighbour’s flat.

Miss Woodley said the previous court case involved allegations that Winkle had dropped a dead pigeon outside his neighbour’s window and poured an ammonia mixture outside her front door.

Winkle, who had been living at an address in Copgrove Road, Tong, Bradford, admitted breaching the restraining order and stalking at his flat in Undercliffe.

His barrister, Molly Briggs, said he knew that a custodial sentence was inevitable and that there was no excuse for his behaviour.

Jailing Winkle, Judge Ahmed Nadim said he had behaved in a shocking manner that had caused distress and anxiety to his victim.

For a reason it was difficult to fathom, he had developed an antipathy towards the woman and engaged in a course of conduct that had made her life ‘an absolute misery.’ Winkle had been immediately released from his earlier jail sentence and within 12 hours he had engaged in shocking and frightening behaviour.

“The fireworks generated explosions and flashing lights and the child wondered whether he was going to die,” the judge said.

He warned Winkle that the four-year restraining order remained in place and if he behaved in such a way again, the sentences would only get longer.

During last month’s court hearing, it was disclosed that Winkle racially abused the woman and urinated on the doorstep of her basement flat.

Judge Colin Burn told him he had behaved shamefully, sticking his middle finger up at her and squirting liquid at her and her young son. He said: ‘It’s my country’ before hurling racist abuse at her.

On one occasion, she heard his voice outside her home and he was urinating outside.

He sprayed liquid at her from a bottle, causing she and her son to attend hospital because they were worried about what they had been covered in.

On that occasion, Winkle pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment and possession of two ornamental swords and CS spray at his flat.

In her victim personal statement, the woman said she had felt ‘stalked, harassed and watched’ even within her home.

She had to install new CCTV cameras during three months of harassment.

He was jailed for six months but the short time he had spent on remand, and then on a tagged curfew, led to his immediate release.

He was warned that he would be subject to prison licence for 12 months and that any breach of the order would be punished.