A Dundee man warned his neighbour that he would put a hammer through his skull if he discovered he was hacking his computer.
Paul Brown, 48, of Marryat Terrace, Dundee, admitted having an offensive weapon, a hammer, in the common close where he lived.
Depute fiscal Kirsten Thomson said it appeared Brown started knocking on his neighbours’ doors after believing that someone was hacking into his computer.
A neighbour noticed he was holding a claw hammer in his right hand and watched as the accused went up and down the stairs, striking the walls with the hammer.
When another neighbour answered his door, the accused started shouting at him.
Ms Thomson said: “The threats were such that he insinuated he would use the hammer, ‘This is going through your skull’ and ‘I’m going to smash your skull with this hammer’.”
The police were contacted. They traced the accused, recovered the hammer and took Brown to the police station.
When cautioned and charged, Brown said he had the hammer for self-defence.
Defence agent Kris Gilmartin said the hammer had remained in his client’s back pocket until the argument with his neighbour.
He said: “At the end of that argument he said: ‘If you’ve been hacking my computer, this is going through your skull’ and he took out the hammer from his back pocket and held it by his side. That was the extent of his behaviour with the hammer.”
He said Brown had been told by his bank, his internet service provider and a computer repair shop that someone was accessing his computer and may be taking information.
The Bank of Scotland contacted him to request that he change his password and security questions because there had been unsuccessful attempts to access his online banking.
Mr Gilmartin said the repair shop believed the breach was happening locally and that Brown had lost his temper over the matter.
The solicitor said the accused had ongoing issues with his neighbours, of which he had advised the police, the council and his GP.
Sheriff Lorna Drummond deferred sentence until July 8 for reports.