A HOAX caller said he was armed with a knife and a gun and would kill police officers who came near him after dialling 999.

Cameron Haley used a telephone box in West Mersea to make the chilling threats.

When the operator answered and asked what Haley’s emergency was he made a derogatory comment and then said there would be “a mad man with a knife at Mersea” and it would be him.

He then reiterated he had a blade, as well as a gun, and if police officers went near him he would kill.

Haley then gave a false name and hung up.

The operator called back and the 23-year-old picked up again and this time said he would kill the whole man’s family and that he would have to come and find him “near the pier”.

Police were scrambled to the incident and an officer recognised Haley because he had said in the phone call he had blood on his face.

As he was arrested, Haley talked about taking his own life but during his interview said he had not made the call.

Haley, of St Peter’s Road, West Mersea, initially denied an offence of making a call conveying a threat and the case was heading to trial.

However he changed his plea when the Crown Prosecution Service produced voice recognition evidence.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard Haley suffered from unexplained periods of rage which are followed by blackouts and had previously self-harmed.

Judge Patricia Lynch QC adjourned sentencing for a week, ordering an amendment to the pre-sentence report to touch on Haley’s anger management and his issues with alcohol.

Addressing him she said she did not think he would go to jail and wanted to look at issues which were “above criminality.”

She said: “An adjournment is in your interest.

“We have got to address this correctly or it is going to happen time and again.

“I am looking for a sentence which is an alternative to custody and is also in the public interest.”