A BARROW dad who drunkenly threatened to bite a police officer while in custody has been ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work.

Jordan Lee Riglar, 25, of Vernon Street, Barrow, pleaded guilty to assaulting PC 2294 Tagg while he was being held at Barrow police station after being arrested on September 4.

Riglar had pleaded not guilty to the charge on September 20 along with two other charges of being drunk and disorderly in a public place and behaving violently at a police station.

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However, the latter two charges were dismissed due to a lack of evidence and the defendant changed his plea for the assault at Furness Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Lee Dacre, prosecuting, told the court how police were called to Vernon Street at 3am on September 4 after residents became concerned for Riglar's behaviour after he was caught vomiting.

When officers arrived, the defendant was abusive towards them and he was subsequently arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

While in custody, he was abusive to PC Tagg and said: "I will f******* bite you" before digging his nails into the victim's hand.

Riglar, who has 29 convictions for 58 offences between October 2003 and May 2016, also swung at PC Tagg who suffered scratch marks to his arm.

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Karen Templeton, defending, said: "He doesn't have a drink problem and is not an alcoholic. From his point of view he can't remember a thing about the whole night and he is dependent on what the police have said.

"He is taken aback that he has been accused of trying to bite someone because he has never done that in the past.

"He does live in Vernon Street and on the night in question he had just gone him with the intention of going to bed but things have gone awry."

The magistrates sentenced Riglar to 250 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay £100 in compensation towards PC Tagg, a victim surcharge of £85 and Crown Prosecution costs of £85.