A man who spat in the face of a prison officer and headbutted a healthcare assistant has been sentenced to 30 weeks custody.

However, Aaron Lee Barnett has already served 15 weeks on remand so he will be time served and released this week.

During a previous court appearance Barnett, who is 24, pleaded guilty to assaulting a prison officer, common assault, threatening to damage property, and attempted criminal damage.

The case was adjourned so a probation report and psychiatric report could be prepared before sentencing but on Tuesday his advocate Paul Rodgers told the court that Barnett had refused to engage with probation or a psychiatrist.

Mr Rodgers asked that his client be sentenced without the reports and for a sentence to be imposed, which would see his Barnett as time served.

The advocate said that the law required a report unless it was deemed unnecessary or impractical.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes agreed to sentence Barnett but told him: ’It’s fair to say you haven’t helped yourself by failing to co-operate for a psychiatric report or probation report.

’I’m left with a situation where I have no background information and an absence of any alternative sentences.’

We previously reported that, on February 27, Barnett was in a prison cell on remand in relation to another matter.

He urinated against the cell door and when the prison officer opened the hatch, Barnett spat on her face and chest.

On June 21 Barnett called 999 making threats to self harm.

He agreed to meet police on Buck’s Road in Douglas but then became agitated and refused any help.

He was taken to Manannan Court but then told he was being discharged.

This prompted Barnett to become angry again, saying he didn’t want to be discharged.

He called ’999’ again and swore, telling police he was going to kick a door.

He started kicking a metal door and was restrained by healthcare staff but then headbutted one of them.

Police were still on the 999 call and Barnett then told them: ’I’ve just headbutted a fella. Can you come and arrest me?’

He then started threatening to smash a window and refused to engage with healthcare staff.

The court heard that Barnett, who has no fixed address, has previous convictions for assault earlier this year, as well as in 2016 and 2014.

Mrs Hughes sentenced Barnett to 14 weeks in custody for the prison officer assault and 16 weeks for the common assault, to run consecutively, as well as six weeks for each of the two property damage related offences, to run concurrently.

The High Bailiff told Barnett that assistance would be available in the community once he was released.