THE man acquitted of murdering North Yorkshire man David Williamson has admitted making a threat to kill another person.

James William Payling, 21, no fixed address, was yesterday remanded in custody for a psychiatric report to be prepared on him by a psychiatrist from Rampton Secure Hospital.

Payling's barrister, Simon Kealey, said of his client: "He is anxious to be incarcerated in one form or another and that he is given his medication. He doesn't want to be released.

"He is anxious to ensure he is in a secure environment where he is getting the medication that is keeping him in a stable condition."

Leeds Crown Court heard that Payling's lawyers would organise the report, which will look at whether he should be confined to a psychiatric hospital rather than receive a prison or community sentence.

His next court appearance will be at Leeds Crown Court on February 24.

The threat to kill was made in the Harrogate area on May 27 to a man called Graham Sullivan. It was not a threat to kill Mr Sullivan himself.

David Williamson died in March 2001 from a serious head injury after being found unconscious on a footpath close to his home in Sutton-on-the-Forest.

The murder shocked the close-knit community and police, determined to track down the killer, reconstructed the attack on BBC TV's Crimewatch.

Villagers in Sutton-on-the-Forest and Huby had their DNA taken, as officers collected genetic fingerprints during the investigation.

Payling was charged with Mr Williamson's murder, but the case against him dramatically collapsed in July, 2003.

A judge at Leeds Crown Court ordered that an alleged confession made by Payling in January, 2002, while he was in police custody, was inadmissible, because a caution had not been in place from the start of the conversation, and certain forms were not signed.

The alleged confession had been made under the "cell intervention" technique, when officers were speaking to Payling in his police cell about a number of other criminal matters.

Updated: 10:17 Friday, January 28, 2005