A rough sleeper who verbally abused a 60-year-old woman in a Norwich garage complex after previously threatening to bite another person's nose off has been spared jail.

Daniel Marsden, 28, was arrested after CCTV footage showed him confronting a woman outside an underground garage at St Michael-at-Pleas in Tombland.

Norwich Magistrates' Court heard how he swore at the woman after she reversed out in her Mazda car before punching the vehicle.

Victoria Bastock, prosecuting, said Marsden, who had been sleeping in the area, was initially thanked by the victim as he helped her manoeuvre her car out but was asked to move away after he made a comment about her 'bike being nice'.

He then started swearing at her and was shouting abuse before she heard between up to four bangs on the car when he hit the vehicle.

Miss Bastock said the incident left the victim feeling 'terrified' and not wanting to go down to the garages.

The court heard how on August 12 last year Marsden had threatened to 'bite the nose off face' of a woman while she was staying in a tent with him and his girlfriend.

Marsden, who said he is of no fixed abode, had previously admitted criminal damage and threatening behaviour on December 20 last year.

He also admitted threatening behaviour in August last year and stealing products from a Co-op store on August 3 last year.

District Judge Nicholas Watson said the threatening behaviour offences were so serious that custody was warranted and imposed a four week prison sentence, suspended for nine months. He was ordered to pay £200 compensation for damage to the vehicle.

Kieran Dunphy, mitigating, said Marsden, who was street homeless, should be given credit for his pleas. He said he 'shouted' after she made comments about not wanting to see him there when she got back. He said there 'clearly was a trigger'.