Man's Christmas meltdown ends in court

Police had to take Craig Varns away as he hurled threats at his housemate, the court was told on Thursday, December 18.
Jane Davis, prosecuting, said officers attended an address in Redshank Court, Thatcham, where Mr Varns, formerly of The Oaks, Newbury, and now of the town’s Newtown Road, had self harmed by cutting his arms.
She added: “He refused to show the officers his injuries. He was trying to pull wrapped Christmas presents from a cupboard and refusing to leave. He said to the woman: ‘You’re going to get what’s coming to you, bitch.’ He was then arrested.”
The 18-year-old admitted using threatening or abusive words of behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress on November 28 this year.
Mr Varns also has previous convictions and had been made subject to a restraining order for an offence of harassment, the court heard.
Mike Davis, defending, said: “Very shortly after this, Mr Varns was admitted to Prospect Park.”
Prospect Park Hospital in Tilehurst is the main hospital for people in Berkshire who suffer from mental illness.
Mr Davis added: “He was there for a week after having some sort of a breakdown.”
He explained that the victim, identified only as Miss Smith, had been concerned about Mr Varns’ behaviour but, unknown to his client, it was not she who had called the police but someone else.
Mr Davis said his client had jumped to the wrong conclusion and had felt let down as a result.
Magistrates made Mr Varns subject to a six month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay a statutory surcharge of £15.