Gorefield man who assaulted two couples has been jailed

A man who harassed two couples by barging into their homes and assaulting them has been handed a jail term.

Mark Hanson, 39, of Black Lane, Gorefield, banged at the door of the first couple’s house just after 8pm on 11 January.

The couple lived on the same street as Hanson and knew his late grandmother. They noticed Hanson was wearing a t-shirt and was shivering, so let him in the house to make sure he was OK.

The pair made Hanson a hot drink and tried to talk to him, but noticed he didn’t appear to make much sense. They eventually persuaded him to leave but he returned 10 minutes later.

Hanson had a cut to his hand and claimed this was from trying to get into the couple’s house. The pair let him in again to clean up the cut and made him a drink for a second time. Hanson then left the house.

However, he returned for a third time, just before 9.30pm, and staggered into the couple’s hallway claiming he had been assaulted.

Hanson said he had been hit round the legs with a metal bar but the couple could see no injuries.

The pair urged Hanson to leave and claimed they could do no more for him. They tried to usher him out the house but, in the scuffle, Hanson knocked the woman’s nose causing it to bleed.

Once Hanson had left the driveway the pair called the police.

Hanson made his way to another house on a nearby street where he knocked on the door of an elderly couple he didn’t know.

He barged in, sat down in their kitchen and took his coat off. He spoke gibberish to the couple and took off another layer of clothing.

Without warning, Hanson then ripped the light bar from the kitchen ceiling and hit the elderly woman with it repeatedly – including to the head. The attack left the woman with a black eye.

Hanson then hit the man with a bin lid or walking frame and moved into the living room where he was described as using the light bar like a sword.

He pulled down the couple’s curtains and smashed a light bulb from a lamp in the living room.

The couple called the police and Hanson, who was still in their living room when they arrived, was arrested.

In police interview Hanson denied all offences. He was later charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) and two counts of assault by beating.

Hanson pleaded guilty to all three offences at a previous hearing at Cambridge Crown Court.

He was sentenced on Tuesday (18) where he was handed a total of six months in prison. However, he had already served the time while remanded in custody so was released. Hanson was also handed a five-year restraining order preventing him from contacting the victims in the case.

Det Sgt Justin Parr said: “Being attacked in your own home by a man who is essentially a complete stranger is something we all fear.

“Hanson took advantage of the kind nature of his victims, one couple being elderly. His behaviour on this day was nothing short of horrific and I hope the sentence imposed, together with the restraining order, allows his victims to move on from what happened and feel safer in their homes.”