A drunk man who had been trying to get into the wrong house in a Norfolk village was arrested for threatening behaviour when police were called, a court has heard.

Warren Knights, 23, had been out drinking with friends after having recently being prescribed medication for mental health issues.

Norwich Magistrates Court heard a couple living in Dereham were woken by their dog barking and became aware of a “male standing on a path between her house and her mother’s bungalow”.

Sharon Hall, prosecuting, said the man had tried the door handle but was told by the woman to “go away”.

But Knights replied “I own it” before her husband went out to confront him.

Knights was asked to show identification and produced a Wetherspoons card with his name on it but shouted “what’s your problem”.

Police were called and found Knights to be intoxicated and was swearing.

Mrs Hall said it “does appear he believed he was at his home address”.

Police told him it was not his address but he kept swearing and was arrested.

That behaviour continued and while at the police station Knights spat at an officer, with some landing on his leg.

Knights, who gave his address as Swanton Avenue, Dereham, appeared before city magistrates on Monday (August 16) when he admitted assaulting an emergency worker and using threatening words or behaviour on July 2 this year.

Simon Nicholls, mitigating, said Knights was a man of precious good character who had been “out drinking with his mates”.

He said the defendant had mental health issues and had recently started taking medication to help him with this.

Mr Nicholls said he was told he could drink with it although there might be issues in the first two or three months before it gets better.

He said Knights “wasn’t trying to break into the house - he believed the house was his,” adding "he was absolutely convinced he was at home.".

Mr Nicholls said his client could not remember “anything about it at all, absolutely nothing”.

Magistrates fined Knights £250 and ordered him to pay £50 compensation to the police officer.

He was also ordered to pay a £34 victim surcharge but there was no separate penalty for the threatening behaviour offence.