A man caused more than £6,000 worth of damage when he dropped a paving slab out of a second-floor window on to a BMW.

Daniel Ure, 52, then barricaded himself into his flat when the police arrived and doused the room in petrol, forcing officers to evacuate the building.

In a statement read out at Cardiff Crown Court the vehicle’s owner Mustafa Ahmed said: “I feel like crying.”

The court heard Mr Ahmed was visiting a family member in Albert Street in Riverside, Cardiff, on November 28 last year.

Lowri Wynn Morgan, prosecuting, said neighbour Ure firstly threw an office chair out of his window and onto the street below.

She said: “The defendant then threw out a paving slab and it landed on the roof of the BMW.”

Mr Ahmed said he saw the roof of his black BMW 3 Series had “caved in” and there was extensive damage.

Police found the paving slab on the ground by the driver’s side and went to speak to Ure, who would not answer the door.

The court heard an officer called through the door and heard the defendant reply: “I’m not your f***ing mate. F*** off.”

Ms Wynn Morgan said the officers could hear noise coming from behind the door and thought he was building a barricade.

She said: “The smell of petrol grew stronger. They believed he was going to set fire to the flat.”

The officers called the fire service and evacuated the other residents, including children and young people.

Ure was arrested and did not answer any of the questions put to him in his police interview.

Mr Ahmed later attended the police station and confirmed the repair work cost him £6,715.27, leaving him in debt.

Ms Wynn Morgan said Ure had one relevant previous conviction from “a long time ago”.

Ure, who no longer lives at Albert Street, admitted causing criminal damage and threatening to destroy property in a way that would endanger the lives of people at the scene.

Andrew Taylor, defending, said his client had been in custody for two and a half months and had already served the equivalent of a five-month prison term.

The court heard Ure served in the Army when he was younger and experienced mental health problems after he left.

Mr Taylor told the court he was having “difficulties” with his neighbours and argued there was no need for him to spend any more time in custody.

Recorder John Philpotts noted he caused “severe” damage to the car and told the defendant he had to consider how best the public would be protected.

Ure was given a year-long jail term, suspended for two years, and a 12-month community order, requiring him to complete 20 hours of a rehabilitation activity.