A MAN with mental health problems has appeared in court on criminal damage and assault charges.
Patrick Mitchell, 54, of Bradford Road, appeared before Huddersfield magistrates yesterday.
He had pleaded guilty to damaging a letterbox at Huddersfield bus station and then assaulting a police officer.
Vanessa Schofield, prosecuting, said that police had been called to the bus station at 8.30am on September 28. The manager reported she had seen a male with a knife and officers headed into the town centre to see if they could locate him.
They saw Mitchell in Kirkgate and followed him into a restaurant where they asked him to accompany them outside. Mitchell took a hot chocolate drink out with him and when asked about the knife he threw the drink over one of the officer’s legs.
The officers then handcuffed him and took him to the police station.
There was no knife found on him.
Andrew Sugden, defending, said that Mitchell suffered from chronic schizophrenia and had been involved with the courts before.
He said his client had scratched the letter box with one of his keys, not a knife.
Mitchell said he had been upset because his benefit had not come through that morning.
He said his spilling of the drink had been accidental, but he accepted it was reckless.
Mitchell appeared in court from custody as he had failed to attend an earlier court date.
Magistrates agreed to release him on condition he attends his probation appointments. He is due back in court on November 8 when he is expected to be sentenced.
