A homeless kitchen-porter admitted to assault and possessing an offensive weapon when he appeared in Magistrates? Court.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner ordered a pre-sentencing report for Karlos Orlando Gilbert, 37, of no fixed abode.

?Daniel Greenslade, President of Rayclan Limited noticed several thefts from cars parked overnight in his company,? Principal Crown counsel Juan Wolffe told the court.

?Mr. Greenslade started to keep the cars under his observation and between 1.30 a.m. and1.45 a.m. on November 30, he observed a man climbing over the east gate, approach a silver Mazda car and proceed to rummage through its glove compartment?.

Mr. Greenslade walked over to the car and told the man to ?get out of the car?, he said.

?He sought to detain the man who said: ?What are you doing. Leave me alone. I have a knife?.?

?Mr. Greenslade picked up a piece of pipe and hit the man with the pipe,? he said.

The complainant got a good view of the man he was fighting with before he climbed back over the gate and escaped on a peddle cycle.

Police later found a knife and a flashlight near the parked car and later that day, Gilbert was arrested under suspicion of stealing.

At Hamilton Police Station, Gilbert admitted to entering the car because he was without a place to live.

Yesterday, Gilbert told the court that his girlfriend had kicked him out the house that night.

?So who is stealing property from this man??Mr. Warner asked.

Gilbert said he did not know but that ?it wasn?t me?.

Mr. Warner ordered a social inquiry report on him before the sentencing on January 7. Gilbert was bailed at $2,000.