A DANGEROUS thug who threatened a man with a claw hammer months before he plunged a screwdriver in to someone else's forehead has again been jailed.

Dean Bradbury, who has a history of violent crime, pulled the tool from under his jacket after an argument with a man in a park.

But because the 36-year-old is already in jail and cannot apply for parole for another year, the sentence is likely to have no impact on the time he actually spends behind bars.

Bradbury, who is on a life licence after being imprisoned for public protection in 2006 after he stabbed an elderly woman in a robbery at Cambria Bridge, threatened a man with the claw hammer in summer 2017.

Mark Ashley, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court the defendant had been in a park off Beechcroft Road on June 4.

He approached a man he knew and told him that if he went anywhere near a woman he knew, or her family he would go after him. He then punched the man in the eye.

"He was told it was a warning. He then pulled a claw hammer with a rubber handle from out of his jacket," Mr Ashley said.

"He pulled his arm right back as if he was going to swing the hammer at him. He got back on his bike and rode off."

The police were called and Bradbury was charged with possessing an offensive weapon, which he denied. But on the day of trial he changed his plea to guilty.

The court heard he served seven and-a-half years of his sentence following the Cambria Bridge before he was released in 2013.

Last April he was given another term of three years and eight months after he plunged a stubby screwdriver in to a man's head in a planned attack.

In that incident the victim was lured to a garage on Fleming Way where Bradbury first stabbed him in the back then plunged the tool into his forehead.

As a result of that attack he was recalled to prison and will be able to apply for parole again after serving half of the new sentence.

Catherine Flint, defending, said he would not be able to seek release until 2020 and was spending his time in custody constructively.

Judge Jason Taylor QC said "You then pulled a hammer out of your jacket and you went to swing with it. Obviously it was aggressive. You have a very poor record.

"You are sentenced for public protection. That was back in 2006. Just a few months after this offence you had another offensive weapon: a screwdriver."

He jailed Bradbury for three months but it will run concurrently with the other matters meaning it will not affect his next release.