Terrified tenants were forced to lock themselves in their rooms as a housemate who had been evicted a day earlier “flew into a rage” and threatened to kill them.

The two victims were only able to escape when Tomasz Twardziszewski went round to the garden shed of the house in Victoria Street, Braintree, allowing them to flee for safety via the front door.

The 44-year-old, of no fixed address, was only restrained when armed police - who had seen him with a small axe - shot him with a baton gun.

He has now been sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court to two years and six months in jail for making threats to kill, 12 months for affray and six weeks for criminal damage, all to run concurrently.

Twardziszewski had been refused entry to the home on Sunday, November 25 last year after those inside feared for their safety.

He had been living there up until a day before.

Locking themselves in their rooms for safety, he damaged a gate to get access to the rear of the property and then struck at their doors.

Police said that when they arrived, Twardziszewski was aggressive and threatening towards officers.

Inspector Mark Cadd, of Braintree's Local Policing Team, said: "Twardziszweski had been evicted from the property the day before and flew into a rage.

"He managed to get access to the property and his former housemates managed to get themselves to place of safety before calling police.

"Twardziszewski had threatened to harm the men as they hid before going into a shed and grabbing an axe.

"After refusing to assist police, he directed his anger at us and we had no choice but to apprehend him using a baton gun.

"Twardziszewski has been sent to prison following what would have been a terrifying ordeal of his former housemates."