David Belmar has a history of mental problems and a fixation on the Queen

Oct 16, 2013 04:19 GMT  ·  By
Queen Elizabeth II wasn’t at the Buckingham Palace when an armed intruder was arrested
   Queen Elizabeth II wasn’t at the Buckingham Palace when an armed intruder was arrested

David Belmar was arrested on Monday as he tried to break into the Buckingham Palace armed with a knife in order to “complain” to Queen Elizabeth II about his benefits, a court has heard, as reported by the Daily Mail.

The incident occurred in plain view of the tourists, as Belmar broke free of a group and tried to get past a security stop to gain access into the Palace.

He was tackled to the ground and security guards recovered a kitchen knife wrapped in plastic from his person. He had it hidden in the pockets of his coat, the Mail reports, but he didn’t say what he planned to do with it.

In court just hours ago, Prosecutor Edward Aydin said that Belmar wanted an audience with the Queen and he planned to do whatever he could to get it. Fortunately, the Queen was not at the Palace when this incident occurred.

“In police custody, he said to police ‘I wanted to see the Queen. I’m not happy about my benefits’,” Aydin told the court.

“He added that Belmar, who has mental health issues, has a fixation with the Queen and received a caution in 1989 for lighting fireworks and throwing them into the grounds of Buckingham Palace,” the Mail adds.

“The Queen was not in the building at the time of the incident, Buckingham Palace said. District Judge Quentin Purdy adjourned sentencing so that pre-sentence reports could be carried out,” notes the same report.

The court also heard that Belmar, who is of a stocky build, had to be wrestled to the ground because he would not stop when summoned. The security guards could have shot him, or someone else could have been hurt, it was said.

“Belmar was under the care of mental health services from 2002 to 2010 and lives with his father and brother, both of whom sat in the court’s public gallery for today’s hearing,” the Mail says.

He is now in prison awaiting sentencing.