A teenager who assaulted three police officers by spitting at them has been put on probation for two years.

Taylor Jake Murphy admitted the assaults, as well threatening behaviour, possessing a knife, two counts of possessing cannabis, and three counts of property damage.

Prosecuting advocate Peter Connick told the court that 17-year-old Murphy’s offending began on April 13.

Police were dealing with another individual when they detained Murphy for a drug search.

He was non compliant, so he was put in handcuffs, but then started swearing at police.

He continued to be verbally aggressive, swearing and saying: ‘I’ll find out where you both live.

‘I’ll burn your house down. I’ll burn your bird.’

Murphy then started kicking the cage door in the police van and spat, verbally abusing one of the officers.

As the teenager was being taken out of the van, he gathered up thick phlegm in his mouth and spat in the face of an officer, which resulted in him being restrained with Pava spray.

During a search, police found a knife with a five-and-a-half-inch blade.

In a police interview, Murphy, who lives in Derby Road in Douglas, said that alcohol and medication he was taking did not mix well, and apologised for spitting.

He said he was carrying the knife to ‘do stuff with wood’ on the beach.

On May 24, Murphy’s room was searched where he was staying and police found 6.4 grams of cannabis, which they valued at £128.

On May 28, a search of his room again found 4.6 grams of cannabis, valued by police at £92.

Murphy’s final set of offences were committed on June 3.

He was being detained as part of an investigation and was put in a police cell.

The teenager tried to flood the cell by blocking the water supply with a blanket, then ripped up a book he had been given.

As he was given a drink through the cell hatch, Murphy then spat again, with the spittle landing on an officer’s face and chest.

Officers went into the cell and he then lunged at one of them which resulted in him being put on the ground.

During the struggle, Murphy spat in the chest of an officer, but some of the spittle sprayed into his face.

The spitting incidents resulted in the officers being removed from duty to go for health checks.

Defence advocate Jane Gray said that her client was only 17 and would have been treated as a juvenile in the UK.

Ms Gray said that Murphy had been engaging with multiple agencies and had family supporting him in court.

The advocate said that he had just been accepted onto a catering business studies course at the college, which involved a work placement.

‘He recognised the majority of his offending is due to this cannabis use, which he has used as a crutch in his life,’ said Ms Gray.

The advocate asked the court to follow the recommendation of a probation report, for a probation order, saying this would allow Murphy to continue to engage with agencies.

Ms Gray also said that her client had spent 47 days in a secure unit while on remand, as well as a few days in police custody, which overall amounted to the equivalent of a three-and-a-half month custodial sentence.

Magistrates said that it was unusual for such serious offences to be dealt with by way of a probation order, but that they had taken into account the work Murphy was doing with appropriate agencies.

The two-year probation order will run concurrently on all offences.