A THUG got into a drunken fight and was so aggressive, an officer had to punch him in the head.

Damian Draper has been jailed for a year for damaging a house and car, plus spitting and coughing on police officers during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He abused the officers after one of them was forced to punch him so he could be subdued.

The 25-year-old, previously of Benfleet, but now of no fixed abode, was given a suspended prison sentence in December after he chased a driver on the A127 - a complete stranger - pulling up in front of him and trying to start a fight last year.

By committing these offences Draper breached his suspended sentence and was jailed at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.

Richard Scott, prosecuting, told the court Draper had gone to his victim’s address and demanded he hand over a key, which led to him coming outside. Draper punched him in the eye, leading to a fight.

Community support officers attended the scene, but Draper was still yelling abuse and acting aggressively, so the officers called in additional support.

When the constables arrived, one had to punch Draper in the side of his head to diffuse the situation.

Mr Scott said: “He was taken to Basildon police station and he spat out of the cage in the police van. He squared up to an officer and threatened him, saying ‘If I didn’t have these cuffs, I would break your nose’.

“He coughed at the constable, unpleasant at the best of times, especially in the prevailing circumstances this year.”

Mitigating, Diana Pigot said Draper had lost his parents and had “no stabilising influence”, but he “accepts his behaviour was appalling”.

Judge Andrew Hurst told Draper: “On March 27 ,when people were talking about nothing else but Covid and what it might mean, this was an act to frighten people.

“You coughed towards him. It was mean and calculated.”