A mentally-ill man who kicked off a violent rampage by attacking a car clamper in his street has avoided jail.

DVLA clamper Benjamin Asamoah has suffered nightmares, insomnia and flashbacks since being punched in his van by enraged Lewis Cooper-Barton in Croydon in February last year.

Cooper-Barton launched the furious afternoon attack on the clamper and attacked two neighbours in their home before smashing the windscreen of the police car which had been sent to stop him.

The 24-year-old, who was wearing just a pair of jeans at the time, kicked the vehicle so hard the airbag deployed, before shrugging off CS gas canisters thrown at him and barricading himself in his home in Addison Road, South Norwood.

When police eventually burst into his house they found him banging a kettle against his head and shouting.

Jenny Burgess, prosecuting, told Croydon Crown Court Cooper-Barton had also wrenched a passing cyclist from his bike before holding him by the throat and repeatedly threatening to kill him.

The court heard neighbour Joe Williams has had his career in the Army put in jeopardy after he was attacked by Cooper-Barton at his home in neighbouring Cresswell Road.

Mr Williams claims he will need plastic surgery after suffering a fractured eye socket when his attacker struck him in the face with a heavy object stuffed in his palm.

Cooper-Barton was taken by police to St George's Hospital in Tooting before being detained under the Mental Health Act. He was arrested on his release but gave no comment interviews to the police.

Judge Simon Pratt, sentencing, described recommendations Cooper-Barton be given six months mental health treatment and supervision “fanciful”, instead ordering both for two years.

He said: “I accept for sentencing purposes that you were ill at the time that you committed these offences, seriously ill.

“It’s a community order and not a suspended sentence because if you breach the order can make the sentence longer than if the sentence was suspended, which is 12 months.

“Yours is a fairly deep-seated problem and it’s going to take time to resolve.”

Cooper-Barton pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, three counts of battery and three of damaging property at Croydon Crown Court on May 6.

The count of wounding with intent was later reduced to a lesser charge.