A MAN with mental health issues who punched a CCTV camera and made his street ‘virtually a prison’ has been handed a conditional discharge and a restraining order.

Alan Palmer, aged 41, of Woodview Drive, Cleeve, pleaded guilty to criminal damage worth �56 after punching a private CCTV camera off the wall of a house in that road on July 15.

North Somerset Courthouse heard how Jason Yendole had been in his house at 11.10am when he watched Palmer punch the camera on his system’s TV channel.

In a statement read out by Kevin Blackmore, prosecuting, Mr Yendole said he was frightened by Palmer’s behaviour and said the ‘whole street is now virtually a prison’.

Defending, Lisa McClelland said the house had been fitted with bright security lights, which made Palmer paranoid due to his mental health issues when the CCTV system was installed about three months ago, leading him to punch the camera off the wall.

Magistrates ordered Palmer to pay costs of �141, including �85 court costs and �56 for the camera, as well as a conditional discharge for 18 months.

He was also given a restraining order banning him from going to Mr Yendole’s house or contacting him directly or indirectly for 18 months.

The verdict was welcomed by neighbour Mr Yendole, who described Palmer as a ‘nuisance’ and said he had ‘made Woodview Drive a misery’.