(Image: North Yorkshire Police)
A young man bullied a person with mental health problems for months, during which he smashed into the victim’s home and threatened to tie him up, York Crown Court heard.
Bailey Stamp, 22, terrified the victim into giving him money on 15 occasions and in one incident made him walk to a cash machine and draw out money to give him, said Samantha Laws, prosecuting.
On one occasion he stayed for hours at the victim's home, gradually getting more and more money from him.
After police arrested him and released him on bail, he burgled the victim’s home and took money out of the victim's pocket.
Defence barrister Andrew Stranex said at the time Stamp was taking “stupid amounts of cocaine”.
In a personal statement, the victim said: “I feel as if Stamp is taking advantage of me.
“It has taken a lot of courage to report this incident to police. He’s a bully. He’s targeting me. I don’t feel safe in my home.”
He said Stamp had taken so much of his benefits he would struggle to meet his monthly bills, he couldn’t sleep and his anxiety had increased.
Ms Laws said the victim, who has psychosis, had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act after the crimes and had told police “if he had anywhere else to move to he would do so.”
He had lived in his current flat in Scarborough for 11 years without problems.
Stamp, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to harassment causing fear of violence committed between January and April this year and burglary on April 11.
He was also charged with two offences of robbery, which he denied.
On the day of his trial the prosecution, concerned about how the victim would cope with giving evidence, dropped the robbery charges after the defendant agreed to plead guilty to two alternative charges of theft committed during the harassment.
Stamp was jailed for five years and four months and made subject to a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim or going near his home for 15 years.
At the time of the offences, he was on a community order for carrying a knife and a conditional discharge for theft, York Crown Court heard.
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Mr Stranex said Stamp had had a very difficult start to life and had been living rough at the time of the offences.
He was ashamed and sorry for his actions.
When he had taken the victim to a cash machine, he had used some of the money given to him to do shopping for the mentally ill man.
Stamp had underlying mental health issues which he needed to address, said the defence barrister.
On his release from prison, Stamp planned to get a job in groundwork and keep away from his former friends.