A MAN in his twenties with over 30 convictions is to be sentenced after throwing ‘blood-soaked tissues’ at a police officer while in custody.

Ross Johnson, of Broad Close in Barrow, was arrested by officers in the early hours of April 15 this year for an unrelated matter, Preston Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Emily Land said PS Tresham was on duty conducting the booking-in-process at Kendal police station with the defendant – aged 26 - when he was given a box of tissues to wipe some blood from his nose.

Ms Land told the court the officer could tell the defendant was under the influence of alcohol as he was unsteady on his feet, slurring his words, shouting and behaving erratically.

“The defendant then became more and more irate threatening to spit blood in the officer’s faces,” Ms Land explained.

“He has then thrown his blood-soaked tissues at her landing on her upper body and arm.”

The court heard police received a call from the owner of Station View Newsagent in Kendal while Johnson was in police custody to say he had received a notification on his phone that movement had been detected in his shop around 2am that morning.

The court was told he checked his CCTV and saw a male in black joggers trying to break through the front door of the shop ‘multiple times’.

Ms Land said the defendant was pictured running towards the front of the shop and throwing himself towards the door approximately eight times.

Johnson responded no comment to all questions asked in police interview, except when shown the CCTV footage to which he replied, ‘not me that’, the court heard.

Recorder Ayesha Siddiqi adjourned sentencing until August 14 for a pre-sentence report to be carried out.