A man with a personality disorder was found to be in possession of knives or bladed objects in public three times in a fortnight, a court was told.

In the first incident Stuart Holloway also smashed medicine cabinets at a Boots pharmacy, causing an estimated £9,000-worth of damage, as his prescribed medication was not ready to be collected.

Durham Crown Court heard that on being told by a staff member that the prescription had not been passed on to them, Holloway said to the assistant: “If I don’t get my tablets I’ll clear the shelves.”

Shada Mellor, prosecuting, said an assistant told him they would look into it, but on his return to the pharmacy in Easington Colliery an hour later on February 23, he began to pull medication from the wall and threw a fire extinguisher through medical cabinets.

Miss Mellor said Holloway then left the Seaside Lane pharmacy and got into a silver vehicle, but at 2.30pm the same day he walked into Peterlee Police Station to hand himself in, passing a hunting knife under the counter, saying he had it in his car.

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Having been released “under investigation”, police responded to a report that Holloway had razors or razor blades and what were thought to be needles in the Shinwell Medical Group practice in Fourth Street, Horden.

Police attended and seized cut-throat razors, some without blades, and a box of blades from Holloway, but no needles were found as it was thought staff reporting the incident had mistaken pens for needles.

The defendant made no response when interviewed, but again, while under investigation for that incident, he was the subject of a further police alert on March 9.

Police, including armed officers, attended the report by East Durham College students of a male being on a bus with a hunting knife.

Miss Mellor said when arrested Holloway told officers he did lose his temper with some girls on a bus and he wanted to scare them but claimed he would not have done anything.

When he was interviewed he gave “no comment” replies, but in a report prepared by the Probation Service for the hearing he admitted waving a knife around on a bus.

The 35-year-old defendant, of Windlestone Road, Billingham, who has no previous convictions, admitted three counts of possessing a knife or bladed article in public plus one of criminal damage.

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Judge James Adkin told Holloway’s counsel, Jonathan Gittins, that having read a psychiatric report on his client, it appears that he has a schizophrenic-type disorder which is considered untreatable or not suitable for treatment in hospital.

Mr Gittins said the defendant was keen to be sentenced at the hearing as he has spent 29-weeks in custody since his arrest and is on a segregation wing.

“He’s never been before the courts before and this has been hanging over him.”

Mr Gittins said Holloway, a plumbing engineer until earlier in the year, has previously carried out charity work in South America and Africa.

He said late last year the defendant had a series of jobs he could not keep and found himself going into a downward spiral, so sought help and treatment for anxiety.

Mr Gittins said he received some counselling, but two to three weeks prior to the Boots’ incident his medication was not being provided.

He felt he was being sent from “pillar to post” and not getting anywhere, so when his medication was not available on the day of the first incident, “he just snapped”.

Mr Gittins said his mental health problems appeared to be the “trigger factor” and told the court the defendant claimed to have little recollection of the incident at the doctor’s surgery.

Imposing a 20-month prison sentence Judge Adkin told Holloway the medical settings were an aggravating feature for his offending.

He added that the defendant appears to present, “an imminent risk of further offending.”

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