A drunken vandal has been jailed for attacking police as they tried to get him hospital treatment for an injured hand.

Thomas Williams cut his hand while carrying out a spree of senseless destruction in the centre of Totnes in which he let off a fire extinguisher in an estate agents and used it to smash windows.

He was taken to Torbay Hospital for treatment but struggled with police as he was waiting to see a doctor and went on to spit at two of them.

He became even more violent after being taken back to a cell where he smeared blood on a CCTV camera and attacked a custody officer who came to see him.

Williams, aged 32, of Lower Collapark, Totnes, admitted causing actual bodily harm, two common assaults and two counts of criminal damage.

He was jailed for a total of a year and ten months by Recorder Mr Paul Dunkels, QC, at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him: ’You have an appalling record no doubt committing offences in an intoxicated state.

’You have to be able to break the cycle of committing offences and you have completed an alcohol action programme in prison.’

Miss Janice Eagles, prosecuting, said police were called to the Watermans Arms in Totnes on June 9 because Williams was drunk.

He went on to cause damage at an estate agent’s shop and at the flats at Bluebell Court, where he was arrested with a cut to his hand.

He was heavily intoxicated and medical staff at Torbay Hospital asked for him to be kept in the police van rather than the waiting room.

He became violent after being taken to use the disabled toilet and spat at police as they tried to take him to a doctor. He went on to attack a civilian custody officer, breaking a tooth and causing damage that needed expensive dental treatment.

Miss Eagles said Williams has 58 previous convictions, mainly for drunken offending, and it is intended to apply for a criminal behaviour order before his release to restrict his activities.

William Parkhill, mitigating, said Williams’ problems were down to drinking too much alcohol but he was now trying to change his ways. He said in the lead-up to the incident the defendant had not taken his anti-psychotic medication.

He said: ’He is disgusted by his behaviour, particularly against the detention officer who he knows and describes as very nice.’