Schizophrenic man, 30, who fired an air rifle at his neighbour while he did the gardening before pushing his pregnant partner in the stomach is handed a hospital order

A schizophrenic man who fired an air rifle at his neighbour while he was gardening has been handed a hospital order. 

Izaak Bradbury, 30, shot at his neighbour from about 30 metres away while he was in the garden at a property in School Road, Wetton, before later approaching him and punching him in the face multiple times. 

When the vicitm's pregnant partner came out to try and stop Bradbury, he pushed her in the stomach, before the terrified couple ran inside and locked the door. 

Bradbury had been handed a restraining order following an incident months earlier when he jumped over the wall into the garden and tried to assault another of his neighbours with a claw hammer. 

At Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court it was recommended that Bradbury be sentenced to a hospital order and is now staying at The Priory Hospital in Lincolnshire.

Prosecutor Antony Longworth said a couple moved into their new home in School Road, Wetton, in July 2022. The man had been at school with Bradbury and the defendant had 'imagined a grudge with the man and his brother'.

On July 14, 2022 the man saw Bradbury approaching and shouting, 'Come on, do you want to fight?'. Mr Longworth said: 'Bradbury jumped over the wall into the garden and went for the man. He was swinging an old claw hammer.

'He was smoking a cannabis spliff and smelled strongly of cannabis. He grabbed the man by the shirt as the man shouted for his pregnant partner to go into the house.

'Bradbury was shouting nonsense. He grabbed the man's shirt. As the man tried to push him away it caused some bruises and scratches. Bradbury grabbed him by the throat, held him against the wall and tried to strike him with the hammer. He was prevented from doing so by the man grabbing his wrist.

'The man told Bradbury his girlfriend was pregnant. He calmed down a little. He set off again and began swearing and being angry again but he walked away. He was arrested the following day.'

Bradbury was subject to restraining orders which prevented him from contacting his neighbours. But at 2.10am on February 21 he went to their house and began to shout and swear at them from the street.

Mr Longworth said: 'He said, "You f****** spy, you will never walk again. Do you want one between the eyes because you are getting it". He also shouted abuse at his neighbour's wife.'

He was bailed for those offences. But on April 2 another neighbour was in his garden when he heard Bradbury 'shouting, swearing and ranting'.

Mr Longworth said: 'He heard the thud of a discharge of an airgun. He saw Bradbury pointing an air rifle towards the garden about 30 metres away.

'The man decided to go and collect his phone so he could record what the defendant was doing. He lay down to do so. The defendant saw him fire the air rifle at him.

'The man got up. The defendant came towards him and swung a punch at him, hitting his left ear, which caused a cut. He continued to hit his ear and face.

'The man's wife came out of the house to try to stop what was happening. She took hold of the defendant. He turned and pushed her in the chest. They went into the house and locked the door.'

Bradbury, of School Lane, Wetton, pleaded guilty to four charges of breaching a restraining order; assault occasioning actual bodily harm; two charges of assault by beating; possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a firearm with intent.

Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said two psychiatric reports had been prepared on Bradbury and it was recommended that he be sentenced to a hospital order.. Mr Muldoon said: 'It would ensure his medication is taken properly and he receives the treatment he requires so he is offence free when he is released in the community.'

He added that Bradbury is currently at The Priory Hospital in Lincolnshire and there is a bed available to him there for the foreseeable future.

He was also made the subject of indefinite restraining orders which prevent him contacting his victims or going to School Road, Wetton. 

Judge Michael Maher said: 'You are plainly suffering from a mental disorder, schizophrenia. I am satisfied that your offending was due to that mental disorder.

'You made life for your neighbours very difficult indeed. The offences are influenced by your mental illness and the delusional beliefs that you suffered from.'

The judge made a deprivation order for the claw hammer and the air rifle.