A MAN who carried out a knifepoint robbery in the victim’s own home has been told to expect “a significant” prison sentence.

The warning was given to defendant Daryl John Smeatham after he admitted carrying out the crime in his home village of Horden, in east Durham, last month.

Appearing at a plea hearing, at Durham Crown Court, via video link from the nearby prison, he admitted charges of robbery and possessing a bladed article in public without lawful authority.

They relate to the incident on Monday June 11, when Smeatham knocked at the door of a house in North Avenue, asking for a glass of water.

The male householder invited Smeatham in, but was “rewarded” for his generosity by the defendant producing the knife and threatening him, before taking a handbag, jewellery and money, and leaving the property.

Smeatham was arrested days later and appeared before magistrates, on June 15, when the case was sent to the crown court.

Following Smeatham’s admissions, defence counsel, Neil Bennett, told the hearing: “Those pleas are entered to what is a robbery in a dwelling, and the court will be considering a significant sentence.”

But he asked for an adjournment to enable the defendant to undergo psychiatric assessment.

“He was released from a previous custodial sentence only in March and he’s been working with the medical authorities as there may be a pre-existing mental health problem that has remained untreated.”

Judge Christopher Prince agreed and said that once the psychiatric assessment has been completed and the report compiled, it could be passed on, with defence authority, to the Probation Service, which, in turn, can then produce its own pre-sentence report.

But Judge Prince said the reports should include details of the defendant’s past offences and also assess his perceived “dangerousness”.

Adjourning sentence, in the meantime, to September 7, to allow the reports to be concluded, Judge Prince remanded 34-year-old Smeatham, of Seventh Street, Horden, in custody, adding: “Of course, you will receive a significant sentence and you will be assessed as a possible dangerous offender on that day..”