Security guards were on alert at Buckingham Palace in lieu of a recent event in which a man armed with a six inch knife tried to gain access to Queen Elizabeth II. Forty-four-year-old David Belmar, who has a history of mental illness, attempted to reach the Queen to discuss concerns about his state welfare payments.

Though the breadth of his plan to reach the Queen has not been disclosed he apparently was “not happy” with his welfare benefits. He was noticed crossing over a vehicle barrier located on the north entrance of Buckingham Palace. David Belmar pleaded guilty on Tuesday to the charges of trespassing and possession of a bladed article.

Prosecutor Edward Aydin spoke about the potential danger to society that Mr. Belmar may have caused.

“He is a danger to the public, carrying a knife in central London, and he is a danger to the queen. He’s quite a large man. He was rugby tackled to the ground because he wouldn’t stop. Police called out on two occasions.” Edward Aydin said.

Prosecutor Aydin went on to explain the potential risk that guards as well as the members of society who were present faced when trying to prevent Mr. Belmar from entering the palace.

“Armed guards had to stop him. He could have been fired upon. Other people could have been hurt. And there was a risk of some form of disorder there outside the palace,” Edward Aydin explained.

Not everyone is pointing fingers at David Belmar. Robert Katz, who is a defense lawyer, provided different insight when speaking about the condition.

“He became very upset by that decision and he didn’t know how he was going to cope.” Robert Katz said before adding that David Belmar had no intention to use the knife but rather just “wanted to draw publicity to what had happened to him.”

[Images Via Wikimedia Commons And Courtesy of хенрик, Michael Pead, and NASA]