A VICIOUS thug who attacked two police officers after being arrested in Bonhill has been jailed for a year.

Paul Ferguson was out on licence when he spat in one police officer's eye and attempted to bite another on the hand as they tried to move him between cells.

Ferguson, 22, appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court for sentencing on Friday after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to the disgusting attacks.

The court heard that police had been called to Main Street in Bonhill on the afternoon of April 26 and found a “domestic exchange of words” between Ferguson and his partner.

Martina McGuigan, prosecuting, told the court Ferguson's outburst happened after he was taken to Clydebank police office to be processed.

Ms McGuigan said: ““Due to his behaviour he was taken to the ground. At that point he attempted to bite PC Trotter on the hand.

“The accused was handcuffed and lifted back to his feet. He was returned to a cell and at that point turned to PC Boyd and spat at him. The spittle landed in his eye.”

Roddy Boag, defending, appealed to Sheriff Maxwell Hendry not to send his client to prison, saying: “This is clearly a serious matter, and there is an unexpired portion [of a previous sentence] of approximately seven months.

“But he has made contact with a person with whom he previously worked and has the opportunity of employment as a tiler. That potential employer has suggested that if he can assist him doing that job, he will allow him to go to college and do a formal qualification as part of an apprenticeship. That's something which would probably prevent further offending.

“He accepts he lost his temper and was out of order, but he is keen to work. He is in a position where he can carry out unpaid hours of work; he would still be available to work at weekends if a community payback order was appropriate.

“He has a supportive family and a relatively stable background.”

Sheriff Hendry told Ferguson: “Mr Boag has said everything that could be said, but I'm quite satisfied that there is no alternative but a further period of custody.”

Pointing out that Ferguson's last five convictions had all resulted in jail terms, the sheriff added: “ You are not learning the lesson as to how you are required to behave when you are returned to the community. That is the behaviour of someone who has to be kept out of the community until you learn how to behave.”

Ferguson, of Roman Crescent in Clydebank, was handed a two-month sentence for his attempt to bite one officer, reduced from four because of the timing of his guilty plea and the time he had already spent on remand.

He received a further four-month term for the spit assault, and was ordered to carry out six months of the unexpired period from his previous prison sentence.