EXCLUSIVE Young family’s terrifying ordeal as doorbell footage captures sword-wielding neighbour trying to smash his way into their home

• EXCLUSIVE footage shows Firas El Hejjaji, 29, attacking home with metal blade

A young family were horrified when their doorbell captured their raging nextdoor neighbour wielding a three foot sword and trying to smash his way into their home.

In terrifying footage obtained by MailOnline Firas El Hejjaji, 29, can be seen attacking their home with the metal blade.

But incredibly despite being arrested on the spot El Hejjaji was back living next door to them just 24 hours later after being simply fined for criminal damage.

The man who lives in the house, who we are not naming by agreement, said: ‘He smashed our door up and if he’d been able to get to me I think he’d have smashed me up too.

‘I can’t believe that we are expected to live next door to this man after he’s menaced us like this. He could seriously hurt my wife or my young son next time.

A young family were horrified when their doorbell captured their raging nextdoor neighbour wielding a three foot sword and trying to smash his way into their home

‘My wife is pregnant and we have a young child so feel particularly vulnerable now. It’s madness.’

The incident, in a quiet residential area of Braintree, Essex on Tuesday, was the culmination of months of simmering bad feeling and anti-social behaviour, the victim said.

‘He’s a volatile man who’s developed a grudge against us for no reason. He seems to think we have done something against him which is simply not true.

‘His behaviour has been impossible to live with – he’ll play rap music full of swearing at deafening volume in his back garden when our young child is just a few feet away trying to play in his paddling pool.

‘It’s made living here extremely stressful and unpleasant for months.

‘Then this week he went completely nuts and started attacking our home with a sword. Thank God we weren’t in at the time but neighbours who saw it were terrified for our safety and for theirs too. His partner had to intervene to try to calm him down.

‘Police were called immediately and we told them all about the background and they saw the footage of what he’d done – so when he was arrested and taken away we hoped and expected we’d never see him again.

‘Instead it was barely 24 hours later before we were told he was back here. He’d just been fined. How can this not have been a more serious offence – affray perhaps – that might have attracted a longer sentence. He was waving a dangerous weapon round with real menace – how much more threatening could this be.’

Since sharing footage of the incident the couple have been inundated with support and have also been in dialogue with their local MP, James Cleverly, about trying to get their concerns about their safety taken more seriously.

A spokesperson for Essex Police said: ‘We were called to reports of damage caused to a property in Braintree at around 4.15pm on 18 July.

‘Twenty-nine year-old Firas Hejjaji, of Braintree was arrested and later charged with criminal damage.

‘He appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 19 July and pleaded guilty to the charge.

‘He was ordered to pay £1,500 compensation.’

Mr Cleverley has been contacted for comment.

Source: Read Full Article