A FRESHWATER man who assaulted his mother and waved a dildo at an elderly woman has been sentenced.

Tomas Daniel Bateman, 30, of The Square, appeared before the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court on Monday.

He also set fire to some rubbish outside a neighbours' door,

He admitted arson, production of cannabis and common assault.

The court heard from prosecutor, Liz Miller, how on June 14, Bateman had been living alone at Birmingham Road, Cowes.

Ms Miller said Bateman's behaviour had been reckless and he had endangered the owners of the flat above his own.

She said the owners had attended their address in order to tidy in preparation for letting the flat out.

Ms Miller said that on arrival, they could hear excessively loud music emanating from Bateman's accommodation.

She said they had carried on with their chores, only to hear a loud banging on the floor.

When they had knocked on Bateman's door to query the ruckus, he became verbally aggressive, shouting at his neighbour for vacuuming too loudly and slamming the door.

Ms Miller said Bateman then came to the window holding a large sex toy and shook it at an elderly woman.

A short while later, a whooshing noise could be heard, and when one of the victims investigated, she found Bateman bent over some rubbish with a lit blow torch ­— little more than a metre from her door.

The court heard how when the victim shouted fire, Bateman ran away, and she burnt her finger putting it out with soil from a potted plant.

Ms Miller said a police search of Bateman's flat resulted in a butane cannister, a lighter and two cannabis plants being seized.

On July 31, Ms Miller said Bateman had assaulted his own mother ­— standing six inches from her face shouting and swearing at her because he couldn't find his headphones.

Bateman's parents felt they had been walking on egg shells around him when he was living back at the family home, due to his behaviour.

She said he had become alcohol dependent and abused solvents, and had previously hit his mother with a stick.

Ms Miller said Bateman's mother feared he could kill one of them, and described herself as being mentally and emotionally battered.

Oscar Vincent, defending, said Bateman's parents had gone to live in Portugal and he had been living on his own for six months with no friends or family.

During lockdown, Bateman had been unable to access professional external support and his alcohol and solvent misuse issues had been exacerbated.

Mr Vincent said Bateman had been at his lowest ebb, and had little to no recollection of the events which had led to his arrest.

The court heard how his behaviour had arisen from a medley of circumstances beyond his control.

Bateman told the bench: "I'm trying to knock it all on the head."

Bateman was given a three-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He was ordered to pay costs of £170, a £128 surcharge, and must complete ten rehabilitation days.