A drunk and aggressive patient arrested by police and taken to A&E because he was injured told the officers: “I’ll find both of you and run you over in my car.”

At Carlisle’s Rickergate magistrates’ court, 51-year-old Anthony Sheckley admitted three offences: being drunk and disorderly in a public place; using threatening words and behaviour; and a common assault on an emergency worker.

Diane Jackson, prosecuting, described how the defendant came to the attention of police at 1.26am on Tuesday, as he caused a disturbance in Central Avenue, Harraby.

Mrs Jackson said: “He was standing outside a residential property banging on and kicking the door and ringing the intercom, as well as shouting and swearing in the street and being aggressive.”

When police officers approached him, he directed his aggression towards them, at one point punching the window of the van they were sitting in. Deciding to intervene, the officers used a pava pepper style spray to subdue Sheckley.

As the two officers were trying to arrest him, the defendant spat at one of them, his spittle containing blood from his injury.

Fortunately, the spittle did not land on the officer’s face. As he was doing this, Sheckely swore at a woman officer.

Mrs Jackson continued: “Mr Sheckley was taken to A&E for medical treatment and he continued to be abusive and aggressive and he was swearing in full view of other patients.

He showed a total disregard for other members of the public waiting to be seen.

“He was advised to lower his voice.”

It was at this point that Sheckley threatened to run over the officers in his car.

John Smith, for Sheckley, said during the initial disturbance the street was empty, though he accepted being disorderly and drunk. Of the incident at the Cumberland Infirmary, Mr Smith said A&E was virtually empty.

There appeared not to have been any adverse effect on the wider public, said Mr Smith, adding that the defendant, an ex-serviceman, was listed as living at Greta Avenue, Carlisle but he no longer had an address.

Jailing Sheckley for 28 days, District Judge Gerald Chalk said he subjected the officers to “sustained abuse”, adding: “It occurred at a time of national medical crisis.”