THE drunken behaviour of building labourer Mack Alexander was described as 'disgusting and disgraceful' after he spat at a policeman then defecated and urinated on the walls of a police cell.

The 23 year old, of Clatterford Road, Carisbrooke, who appeared before Isle of Wight magistrates this week, admitted a common assault against an emergency worker and criminal damage to a cell, at Newport Police Station, during the early hours of December 13 last year.

In Ryde that night, drunken Alexander reacted angrily to being arrested, on other unrelated matters, by spitting at PC Emery and striking him in the chest. Both actions were captured on the officer's body worn video.

"The spitting was obviously an aggravating and serious action during this pandemic," said Liz Miller, prosecuting, at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court.

While he was in police custody in Newport, Alexander urinated and defecated on the walls of his cell.

"Fortunately, both matters — as disgusting as they were — were cleaned up relatively quickly," said Oscar Vincent, for Alexander.

"What he did in the cell was deeply unpleasant for the police, but this was not a 'dirty protest' where excrement is smeared on a cell wall.

"He is not proud of what he did and the trigger for his actions is something he cannot explain.

"Spitting is something he would not normally do or ever repeat, he says, and that he cannot say why he did what he did in the cell. He is absolutely disgusted with his behaviour.

"The shock of what he did that night actually made him stop drinking — and he has not touched a drop since. It is a practical step towards him preventing a repeat of such behaviour."

Alexander was handed 18 months' probation, to include doing 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.

When sentencing Alexander, presiding magistrate, Keith Jones, told him: "You did not cover yourself in glory. This was very disgusting behaviour in both instances — especially spitting in this current climate of Covid.

"And what you did in the cell was absolutely disgraceful."

Alexander was also ordered to pay PC Emery £50 compensation, £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.