A man who made his neighbours' lives a misery allegedly broke an antisocial behaviour order, a court heard.

Gordon Clarke had the Asbo and a restraining order slapped on him after problems with neighbours in Crawley. It prevented him from harassing, threatening or abusing people in Blackdog Walk, Northgate.

Nicholas Hall, prosecuting, said Clarke, 46, allegedly twice breached his Asbo last year.

Mr Hall said: "The prosecution case is that Clarke seems to have some kind of problem with his near neighbours and behaves disgracefully towards them."

He said Clarke's next door neighbour John Ferreria, who is Portuguese, had gone into Crawley for the day on August 27.

Mr Hall said: "When he returned there was an altercation involving some of the defendant's children.

"He came into Mr Ferreria's garden waving some kind of stick about. He was shouting some very unpleasant language. Mr Ferreria was fearful about what might happen and called the police.

"Two hours later Mr Ferreria was inside his house and heard Clarke shouting more abuse from his own front garden. He looked out and saw Clarke who he had heard shout go back to your own country'."

Mr Hall said Clarke's four-year Asbo was imposed on November 5, 2001, and was just months from ending when the incident took place.

The jury at Hove Crown Court heard a restraining order was made against Clarke in 1998 to protect other neighbours from harassment.

Mr Ferreria, speaking through an interpreter, said one of Clarke's sons had told him to "go back to your land". He added: "As I went into my house I saw Gordon Clarke with a stick in his hand. It was about two meters long and as thick as my arm."

He added: "I believed he was going to attack me with it. He did not do anything with it but he had it in his hand.

"He swore and said things like you pig, p*** off back to your country."

Clarke, of Blackdog Walk, Crawley, denies two charges of breaching the Asbo by having the stick and using abusive language.