Thug jailed for attacking four police officers tells judge: 'Hurry up I want to smoke a spliff'

A thug jailed for attacking four police officers told a judge to 'hurry up' so he could return to his cell to 'smoke a spliff'.

Ian Bullock, 40, went on an extraordinary rant as he received a two-and-a-half year prison sentence at Birmingham Crown Court.As he was ushered down to the cells, Bullock declared: "You won't **** with the IRA, I'm a gypsy."

But he was shown mercy by Judge Francis Laird who did not punish him further for his outburst.

He had ignored most of Bullock's frequent interruptions from the dock throughout the hearing as he recognised the defendant was 'upset' and had 'profound' mental health difficulties.

Bullock was previously jailed last year for sexually assaulting a woman in a ladies' toilets at Birmingham New Street railway station, which he later claimed he entered because he 'identified as female'.After his release he breached his sex offender notification requirements in August last year. His offender manager went to the supported housing accommodation where he was staying at Witton Road in Perry Barr, Birmingham, but was told he had been evicted.As a result a notification was logged on the police national computer and Bullock became a wanted man.

On September 3 police were called to Washington Court, a homeless hostel in the city centre, following a report of a man being aggressive to staff.Judge Laird explained: "You were living at the address and got into an altercation with staff over whether you had been served breakfast or not."Bullock was taken to Perry Barr custody suite and placed in limb restraints due to his behaviour.

He incurred his first assault offence by spitting in an officer's face.Later another officer spoke to him through an open cell door but Bullock tried to walk out and punched him in the face.

He lashed out at a third who came to help and managed to completely split his lip.Bullock then bit a fourth officer on the knuckle after he had been wrestled to the floor.

He has 35 previous convictions for 73 offences, the court heard.Gary Cook, mitigating, said his client had a 'very difficult background' and ended up becoming addicted to class A drugs, which he had managed to overcome 'from time to time'.

Mr Cook said: "He was living in a derelict warehouse which must have been bleak and comfortless.

"He didn't want to live in a house of multiple occupancy as people there can have their own problems with addiction and he didn't want to relapse into heroin use.

"He was found in a derelict building by officers, not causing trouble, they were concerned for him.

"He ended up at Washington Court where he's arrested from and that's where matters deteriorated."Bullock, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to common assault, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and one count of unlawful wounding.

Sentencing, Judge Laird told him: "In court you have frequently interrupted proceedings. I recognise that is not out of disrespect it's because you have profound difficulties."I don't in any way take your behaviour to be deliberately disrespectful or in any way to aggravate your position."After his 30-month sentence was announced Bullock replied: "I don't give a ****. Hurry up. Boring.

"I've got to go back to my cell to smoke a spliff, because that's what prison is like."He continued: "You won't **** with the IRA, I'm a gypsy." He was hastily led down to the court cells by the dock officer.

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