A man who assaulted two prison officers as he was being released from prison has been jailed for 13 weeks.

Alistair John Cowin got angry when he could not find any clean clothes in his belongings as he was about to be freed.

The 38-year-old hit one prison officer on the jaw and tried to bite him, and pushed another officer in the neck.

Magistrates sentenced him to nine weeks custody for the punch and four for the push to run consecutively.

We previously reported that Cowin was about to be released from prison on June 9 after serving a sentence.

However, during the discharge process he was said to have become agitated as he looked through his belongings, complaining that there were no clean clothes.

He was offered some civilian clothes by prison officers but then squared up to one officer, telling him: ’I’m this far away from losing it and knocking you out.’

The officer put his hand up to keep Cowin away but Cowin was said to have pushed it away and pushed him in the neck.

The prison officer broke free and then took hold of Cowin with the help of another officer.

Cowin was then said to have struck out hitting one of the officers on the jaw and tried to bite him.

After being restrained Cowin was interviewed and said prison officers had put dirty clothes in with clean clothes.

He claimed that the officers were undercover police, as there was a conspiracy to keep him in jail.

One of the prison officers was taken to Ramsey Cottage Hospital after feeling dizzy after the incident.

In court a basis of plea was entered by Cowin’s advocate Paul Glover in which he said that he had not grabbed an officer by the neck as had previously been stated.

This was accepted by prosecutor Barry Swain.

Mr Glover said that his client accepted that the only realistic sentence was immediate custody.

The advocate said: ’Mr Cowin felt aggrieved and matters got out of hand. He would only wish to apologise. Thankfully there were no serious injuries.’

No order for costs or compensation was made.