Buckingham Palace intruder who broke into grounds with knife and cocaine spared jail

dailystar.co.uk:

London for one year.Cameron Kalani, 44, entered the grounds carrying a knife and a bag of cocaineWestminster Magistrates Court heard this week how schizophrenic Kalani “did not know” where he was at the time of the break-in, and had gone to London with the aim of getting arrested during a mental health breakdown.He told the court that he “didn’t know where he was or what was happening”, but guards searched him and found the drugs and kitchen knife with a 20cm blade.He said to the court that he was a “burden”, and would be “better off in prison”.Prosecutors accepted his guilty plea on the basis that he did not know he was intruding at Buckingham Palace, but 'a reasonable person' would have had cause to suspect they were trespassing on a protected site.His 24-week jail term was for carrying the knife and trespass was suspended for a year, and he must complete 30 rehabilitation days.

He faced no separate penalty for the drug offence.Alexander Alawode, prosecuting, told the court that at around 4.30am on May 10 last year CCTV captured the defendant in the Royal Mews.Mr Alawode said: “He climbed over the fence into the Royal Mews and trespassed onto the grounds.“He was seen climbing over the fence and then back onto Buckingham Palace Road before being detained by guard officers at around 4.40pm.“The defendant appeared to be confused, not knowing where he was or what was happening."Later it was established he had taken cocaine earlier that evening and was suffering from schizophrenia at the time.Deputy District Judge Roy Brown the man: “It is just good luck and good fortune that neither you nor anyone else was injured or killed in the course of your escapade last May.“Police were extremely restrained in the way they behaved.