A MAN racially abused and stalked a woman while on bail for threatening to shoot a man.

Abid Hussain has been jailed after a committing a string of “serious offences”, which also saw him drunkenly brandish a knife in public and threaten a man with a metal bar.

The 41-year-old’s crimes took place over a period of 18 months and left multiple victims "scared and distressed", Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

Elizabeth Evans, prosecuting, said Hussain’s crimes had begun on March 16, 2018, when he accosted and threatened to kill a stranger.

At around 10pm that day, taxi driver Abdul Manaf had finished his shift, and on parking up near his Bury home decided to go for a walk, she said.

Mr Manaf saw another man, who appeared to be agitated, walking in his direction.

The man, Hussain, then started swearing and shouting abuse at Mr Manaf in a mixture of English and Punjabi.

“Mr Manaf was taken aback as he did not know the man and had never seen him,” Miss Evans said. “He was scared as he did not know why he was abusing him.

“Mr Manaf said, 'Why are you saying this, I’m just a taxi driver working'.

“The man then said, 'I will kill you', and reached into his right trouser pocket and got out a black-handled gun.”

Armed with the weapon ­- which later turned out to be an imitation firearm ­- Hussain then dived at Mr Manaf and struck him on the face with its butt, leaving him with a laceration, the court heard.

A scuffle then took place as both men grappled with one another in a bear hug, before Mr Manaf managed to push Hussain off and run for his home.

Pursued by Hussain, he managed to reach his locked front door, which was answered by his partner, Tasleem Akhtar.

Ms Akhtar then told her children to call the police while Mr Manaf “bravely” tried to detain the still swearing and threatening Hussain.

However, he managed to flee to Spring Street, where he was later arrested, and said to be “clearly drunk”, by police.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Manaf said: “This incident has left me feeling very shaken and scared for my safety when I am out of the house alone.

“I’m not sure I can go for my evening walks for fear of this happening again.”

Ms Akhtar added that the attack had also left her feeling very frightened.

On April 29, 2019, Hussain launched another attack ­- this time on the manager of a Bury bar.

The court heard how at around 1.30am, as the pubs and clubs were shutting, Gareth Needham, manager of the Venue bar, was waiting outside the Silver Street premises when a drunken Hussain began challenging people to a fight in the street.

Mr Needham called the police at which point Hussain began shouting and calling him a “snitch”, Miss Evans said.

Hussain went off and and returned with a bottle and a metal bar, which he used to threaten Mr Needham.

After the confrontation, the court heard that Hussain then fled and was later arrested.

At around 3.30pm on August 3, shop assistant Caitlin O’Sullivan had been working in the Top Shop Newsagent in Hurst Street, Bury, when she heard a commotion outside.

Also waiting outside the shop was Ms O’Sullivan’s mother, Tina, with her new-born grandson. Ms O’Sullivan saw Hussain and his brother walking towards the store shouting at each other, Miss Evans said.

Hussain then threatened to kill his brother and, after his sibling refused to fight him, Hussain lifted up his shirt and drew a knife.

The offender then turned on Ms O’Sullivan and called her a “slag” and a “whore”.

He further challenged another passer-by to a fight and pushed an elderly man into a fence.

Following the incident, and despite being on bail and told to not go within 100 yards of Hurst Street, Hussain made visits to the Top Shop store on an almost daily basis. He would become aggressive and racially abused and threatened Ms O’Sullivan.

On one day Hussain came to the shop so many times that the store was forced to close, the court heard.

He would also shout at people in the shop to buy him alcohol and threatened the manager.

Hussain began to harass Ms O’Sullivan about her being a witness and giving evidence for his impending court proceedings.

Hussein, of Andrew Street, Pimhole, was sentenced to a total of five years in prison for possession of an imitation firearm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, possession of a bladed article, threatening a person with a bladed article, witness intimidation, stalking and racially-aggravated harassment, including fear of violence.

He was also made subject to a restraining order instructing him to stay away from all known addresses of Ms O’Sullivan.

He had pleaded guilty to all charges at earlier hearings, the court heard.

Michael Evans, defending, said there was limited mitigation he could give for Hussain’s actions.