His behaviour was so concerning for one of the leaders and his family that they completely changed their daily routines and had to stop their children walking to school in case they saw him.

Abdul, of Featherby Road, was charged with harassment without violence of Ife Famoriyo between February 28 and March 9, and with stalking Kevin Boakye between February 15 and March 24.

Abdul denied the charges of harassment and stalking but changed his plea to guilty on September 8, just before he was due to stand trial.

He appeared from custody at Medway Magistrates’ Court on September 25.

James Nichols, prosecuting, told the court Mr Boakye, Mr Famoriyo and the defendant all attended the Victor Bible International Church in Lewisham.

He said: “The issues started because the defendant was giving unwanted attention and gifts to an unrelated female who attends the same church, to the point where she went to Mr Boakye for support.

“He spoke to the defendant, telling him his behaviour needed to stop.

“But it continued, and so he was banned from the church and told not to attend the premises anymore.”

Despite this, Abdul turned up on a number of occasions and at other times went to Mr Boakye’s home.

Mr Nichols added: “He had to be escorted out by Mr Famoriyo, and so took a dislike to him. He then constantly messaged Mr Boakye on WhatsApp, asking him about the female and demanding that he get the gifts back.

“Mr Boakye refused and told him not to contact him anymore.”

The prosecutor added: “On February 15, the defendant messaged Mr Boakye saying: ‘We are speaking face to face today or later at yours at St Mary’s Island?’, to which the victim believed that he meant he was going to turn up at his house if he did not agree to meet him at the church, which Mr Boakye didn’t want to do.

“The defendant went on to say: ‘Are you against me? Because I know what happens to all of my enemies,’ making Mr Boakye believe he causes some sort of harm to his enemies and had now deemed him an enemy and would do the same [to him].

“On February 16, the defendant messaged Mr Boakye again, saying, ‘I will bring the heavy sword against everyone’, making him believe that he was going to attend either the church or his home address and cause him serious harm, with the use of a sword.

“Mr Boakye told Mr Abdul not to contact him and reiterated he was not to attend the church, and blocked the defendant on WhatsApp.”

But the messages didn’t stop. To Mr Famoriyo he said: “Long day for anyone who’s on usher duty, if they try to pull any hero b******t, they are getting it”, “Gonna leave that stupid b***h wife of his barren" when referring to Mr Boakye, "Tell rev I hope he plans on taking his daughter through a different route to school because if I catch him by the bridge at St Mary’s island again its going to be long…not sure if I can stop till something has shed.”

Mr Nichols added: “He also said: "I'll pull up on the pulpit and whack him and he then goes on to make threats towards Mr Famoriyo saying: "Even u [sic] Ife reading this for all the BS you and your friends tried, you're all getting it brother,” which Mr Famoriyo believed was a threat to harm him.”

The prosecutor added: “Mr Boakye has been in fear since the start of the messages from the defendant, genuinely believing that he was going to cause harm to himself or his family, and felt harassed and alarmed by the messages received.”

In a victim impact statement, Mr Bokaye said Abdul’s behaviour had a major impact on his family's life.

He added: “I have caught myself changing numerous day-to-day activities. I have been constantly checking my Ring doorbell since the start of the incidents due to the threatening messages he has been sending me.

“I have two young children who have been impacted due to this incident. They used to walk to school, but we now drive to keep us all safe, and I have started to work from home so I can accompany my wife on school runs and protect her and the children.

“When I am not around, I am constantly phoning my wife to make sure she is safe.

“Throughout this incident, he has made multiple threats to harm me, and I believe he is capable of doing this, as his intent is clear in the messages.

“I have a level of anxiety when I am at home and can feel unsafe, which nobody should feel inside their own home. He turned up outside my address only two days after being bailed from the police station for this incident.”

Mr Famoriyo also wrote a statement which said he was anxious about Abdul’s behaviour and that he had to watch his back when he was out in case he saw him.

He added: “We have tried numerous times to try and engage with Abdul to calm him down and talk about what is going on to prevent him from doing any of these threats, but these have not worked, leaving us no option but to report it to the police.”

During sentencing, magistrates also heard about other incidents where Abdul had been charged with criminal damage.

He was caught driving an Audi A3 while over the drug drive limit on October 4, last year, in Hotel Road, Gillingham and was found to have 7 micrograms of cannabis per litre of blood; the legal limit is 2.

He initially denied the offence but changed his plea to guilty in July.

He also pleaded guilty in July to criminal damage after breaking a wing mirror of a van in Westerham in November.

Mr Nichols added: “The criminal damage was committed in breach of a suspended sentence he’d previously been given.

“On Monday, November 25, Abdul was driving his Blue Audi in the high street directly behind a Grey Peugeot Expert van owned by Marlow Fire & Secuirity.

“After the Peugeot Expert came to a stop whilst a pedestrian used the zebra crossing, Abdul had got out of his Audi, ran up to the Peugeot Expert and kicked the driver’s side wing mirror, causing it to become damaged and unattached.

“Abdul then got back into his vehicle and drove off.”

The incident was reported to police and the repairs cost the company £585.68.

Rachel Gretton, defending, said Abdul’s menacing behaviour was due to him smoking drugs.

She added: “He did use cannabis but had not been doing so since [these incidents], but it gave him paranoid thoughts and he reacted on these occasions because of that.

“He should get credit for [some of] his early guilty pleas, and he’s already served 36 weeks. You could not activate the suspended sentence. His dad is here to support him.

“But the criminal damage and the drug driving are in breach of the suspended sentence.”

Magistrates decided to jail Abdul for 40 weeks for the stalking offence and 12 weeks for the harassment offence, to run concurrently.

They also activated the suspended sentence for 11 weeks, to run concurrently, but it was not stated in court why he was given the previous suspended sentence.

He was also fined £80 for each of the criminal damage and drug driving offences and was banned from driving for 12 months.

He was ordered to pay £585.68 compensation to the company for the damaged wing mirror and must pay £582 in court costs and surcharges.

Abdul is expected to be released in a matter of weeks because of time spent on remand.