A CARLISLE man has been jailed for committing a catalogue of crimes which began with the theft of a £2 ice lolly and ended with him spitting at a police custody sergeant.
Steven Arvids Queen, 37, was under the influence of drink and drugs when he found himself on the wrong side of the law on June 30.
Queen first stole a lolly valued at £2.09 from the Spar shop near his Atkinson Crescent home in the Harraby are of the city. He threatened staff and was then abusive outside a takeaway when officers arrived. He was found to be in illegal possession of a kitchen knife on his home street and, when taken into custody, was placed in a cell and given a safety clothing to wear.
But he caused damage to a pair of trousers and his cell, and, when he was moved, he spat towards a custody sergeant when a hatch was opened.
Queen admitted theft, public order, having a bladed article in public, criminal damage and assaulting an emergency worker.
His lawyer, Sean Harkin, conceded the spitting offence was “deeply unpleasant”, observed the saliva had landed on the officer’s clothing and stated that Queen had not threatened anyone with the knife.
Jailed Queen for 18 months, Recorder Ciaran Rankin said: “This catalogue of offending you embarked upon that day can only result in one outcome: immediate custody.”