A MAN who started swinging a hammer about in a row over laying his sister's patio has been jailed for four-and-a-half months.

But because repeat offender Lee Fitchett has done three months inside on remand he is unlikely to spend any more time behind bars.

The 33-year-old had gone to the house of Katie Fitchett, who lives down the road from him in Pinehurst, on Monday, June 22, to lay the stone slabs.

Hannah Squire, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court: "There was argument between him and Liam, the partner of Katie.

"He produced a hammer and started swinging it. He started swinging it at the frond door, causing damage, and swinging it at those people present.

"There was a car outside, the passenger window and rear window were smashed, I believe, with the hammer. There was a dent and a crack in the windscreen.

"It is fair to say Katie Fitchett didn't want the matter to proceed any further. She said the damage to the car was in the region of £1,000."

Fitchett, of Linden Ave, pleaded to guilty threatening behaviour but not guilty to affray, two counts of criminal damage and one of assaulting his sister.

Prosecutors said they would not seek a trial after he accepted damaging items as part of the public order offence he admitted.

Lucy Plumpton, defending, said: "Mr Fitchett does regret his actions and will be making amends personally.

"It is particularly unfortunate as it involves his family, and he is remorseful about that."

She pointed out that he had served three months on remand, the equivalent of a six month sentence, which is the maximum for what he has admitted.

Although he has a log history of crime she said his last offence of violence was almost 20 years ago.

Jailing him Judge Tim Mousley QC said: "You have pleaded guilty to this offence of threatening words or behaviour but this was a bad case of its type and you are a man with a bad record, in recent years, for dishonesty.

"There is no offence recorded against you for violence for 18 years I think.

"Your behaviour on this occasion was appalling and there can be no excuse for what you did and what you did took place in the street in front of others."

Imposing the sentence he said "you will be released pretty soon."

Prolific burglar Fitchett has a long history of crime dating back to his teenage years including, more recently, walking out of an open prison.

He had been jailed for three-and-a-half years in August 2010 and was transferred to Leyhill open prison before leaving in January 2012.

But he got a taxi to take him away as he wanted to go back to a 'proper prison' because of his disgust at sex offenders discussing their crimes and the prevalence of drugs.

Fitchett, who has spent time in a Turkish prison, successfully appealed against the eight months added to the sentence having it slashed to 28 days due of the unique nature of the offence.

Although he had walked out he left his key in his cell door, saving the prison the expense of changing all the locks, and handed himself in to police after a couple of days.