BURGLARS who broke into a Carlisle man’s home daubed a chilling message on his living room wall, telling the victim: “We’re coming for you.”

But instead of waiting for the police investigation to run its course, 30-year-old Daniel Hamilton armed himself with a hammer and went out on to the streets to deal with the culprits himself, a court heard.

At the city’s Rickergate court, Hamilton, of Stonegarth, Morton, admitted possessing an offensive weapon in a public place without a reasonable excuse.

Prosecutor Pam Ward said police were called to the defendant’s home on Saturday, July 16, after he reported the break-in.

While the officers were with the defendant, gathering information about the burglary, Hamilton indicated that he wanted to deal with the burglars himself and tried to leave the house with a screwdriver and a mallet hammer.

“He told the officers he would take the matter into his own hands,” said Mrs Ward. “But the officers warned him that he could not do that. He was told to take the items back into his property.”

Half an hour later, at 10.40am, CCTV cameras recorded Hamilton, holding the hammer, as he walked along Castle Way and then into Abbey Street.

He was seen by a small group of schoolboys, though they did not seem particularly frightened, said Mrs Ward. A police officer who was sent to find Hamilton told him to drop the weapon, and he immediately did so.

Hamilton was then arrested.

Jeff Smith, defending, told magistrates: “Daniel Hamilton had been burgled. Not only had he been burgled, but the perpetrators had written on his living room wall the words: ‘We’re coming to get you.’

“He felt that police appeared to be taking little interest in the burglary. The perpetrators were known to Mr Hamilton but they were never arrested.

"He knows it was inappropriate to do what he did but he has mental health issues and this was almost a cry for help.”

A probation officer who spoke to Hamilton said: “He knows who broke into his house. They broke in through a back door window and then threw black paint all around the house and trashed it.”

The officer said the defendant rang the police four times as he made his way to the burglar’s house, telling them he had a hammer. “He wanted to do that to get the police to do something to make him feel safe," said the officer.

Hamilton said he had spoken to the burglar, who admitted the offence but the defendant was "pushed away" by the man's neighbours.  Police knew about his mental health and at the time of his arrest he was on his way to his mother's home, he said, 

What happened had a significant impact on Hamilton’s mental health, said the officer. He had not slept for three days nor was he able to go home because he now felt “completely unsafe” there.

Presiding magistrate Paul Baird told Hamilton: “Although you were in possession of a weapon, it wasn’t used to put anyone in fear.. We believe your ‘[mental health] conditions made things a lot worse and put you in a different place.”

Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order with 10 rehabilitation activity days to enable the Probation Service to help Hamilton. He must pay an £80 fine, £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.