Matthew Denouden, 42, pleaded guilty in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Tuesday to 23 charges including making a threat to kill and intentionally damaging property.

Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Clint Prebble told the court on December 26 at 9am, Denouden entered the gated driveway of a sleeping victim and ripped the flywire off the door.

At 10.30am, the accused returned to the same property and kicked the gate, before yelling that "his brother in heaven told him to kill the victim's husband". The exchange was filmed on a camera phone.

Denouden visited a Wendouree bottle shop at 10.57am, where police allege he stole three longneck beers and a bottle of Stone's Ginger Wine. At 2.40pm, he returned to the store and took another bottle of wine.

At 2.45pm, the police prosecutor said Denouden smashed a house's front window, before ending up on Gillies Street at 3.35pm, where he threw fence palings at a passing taxi driver. Five minutes later, the accused tried to rip the spoiler off a red Holden sedan. The total damage bill was $540.

When he was arrested by police, the man was "highly agitated" and spat at police members, Senior Constable Prebble said.

The court also herd on April 7 last year, police were called to Creswick to reports of a male carrying a firearm. Police located Denouden, who matched the description, in a Ford sedan. A crossbow was found on the floor behind the front passenger seat, with the guilty man admitting to possessing the crossbow, telling police he "took it off a mate because he was going to hurt people with it".

Defence lawyer Andrew Madden called the case "very difficult", stating much of his client's offending was driven by his psychiatric problems, but he was able to complete community corrections orders when adequately medicated and supported.

He argued Denouden should receive a community corrections order with oversight on him complying with medications, after spending 149 days in pre-sentence detention.

"When he's taking prescribed medication, he's compliant and a functioning member of the community," Mr Madden said.

"It's one of those circumstances where the best place for Mr Denouden is not prison."

The court heard Denouden had expressed the belief he was Jesus to his lawyer.

Magistrate Gregory Robinson said it was a "pity there isn't more effective" regimes for mental health supervision in the community.

He said he was considering a "longer term of imprisonment" than what Denouden had already completed in pre-sentence detention.

Denouden will be sentenced on May 14.

Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.