A DRUNKEN nuisance threatened a community warden and store worker, before spitting at a police officer who arrested him.

Having been charged and bailed, while awaiting a court appearance date, George Trevor Hutchinson carried out a sustained drunken attack on his former partner 19 days later.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, told Durham Crown Court that the 57-year-old defendant has 22 convictions for 33 offences, “a significant number” of which were for violence.

Miss Lamballe said Hutchinson was in an intoxicated state, “making a nuisance of himself”, at Durham City Bus Station, on October 15.

He swore at a neighbourhood warden and initially refused to leave the station, but when he did he went on to threaten an assistant who refused to serve him alcohol at a nearby Tesco store.

When a police constable turned up, Hutchinson was verbally abusive and so was arrested and taken to the police station, where he twice spat in the officer’s face.

While on bail he assaulted an ex-partner after their relationship ended, punching her several times and almost choking her.

Hutchinson, of Hope Street, Crook, was arrested and charged with assault causing actual bodily harm. He admitted it, plus assaulting an emergency worker and two public order offences from the earlier incident.

Warren Ridley, mitigating, said: “When sober he’s a man with a strong work ethic, polite and respectful, but under the influence of alcohol he’s a different person, committing offences with a disregard for authority.

“His issue is not alcohol dependency but simply that he binge drinks to the point he commits offences and will continue to do so unless something is done about it.

“He has now availed himself of a volunteer alcohol service.”

Imposing a total 12-month prison sentence, Judge Ray Singh said he did not believe there was any alternative to custody.

He made Hutchinson subject of five-year restraining orders, prohibiting contact his ex-partner or the Tesco employee, and from entering the store.