A HAMPSHIRE man who armed himself with a dumbbell and attempted to spit at police in Basingstoke town centre has been jailed.

On Wednesday, July 5, David McGuigan was visiting his mother's grave in Basingstoke and ended up getting into an argument with a stranger. 

At Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday, August 9, he entered a guilty plea to a charge of having in his possession a dumbbell to use an offensive weapon.

The 34-year-old pleaded guilty to three other offences at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on Friday, July 7 relating to the same incident including causing a woman harassment, assaulting a police constable and damaging a police van.

READ MORE: Man to be sentenced for arming himself with dumbbell after 'heated argument'

McGuigan, of Cove Road in Fleet, appeared at the same crown court on Tuesday, October 3 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Prosecutor David Flemming told the court that all offences took place on the evening of Wednesday, July 5.

He said McGuigan entered a Coral Bookmakers store in Basingstoke at around 9pm while staff were cashing up and when asked to leave he "responded with abuse shouting coherently and telling staff to shut up".

Mr Flemming said one staff member was left "shaking like a leaf". McGuigan was already banned from entering the shop.

Mr Flemming continued: "Shortly after 11pm the defendant engaged in a heated conflict with an unknown male. He throws a drink over the male and swings a punch at him.

"He then walks off having been separated from the male and walks into a car park. He emerges from the car park with his hand in his pocket. The Crown says that whether by finding something or whether he knew there was a weapon available to him he is now armed with a central metal bar of a dumbbell."

McGuigan was later arrested and after "repeatedly threatening" to spit on a police officer he spat on the glass of a police van and "smeared it around with his tongue”.

In mitigation, Chloe Jay told the court that McGugian had gone to Baskingstoke to visit his mother's grave and was "not in a good headspace".

She also said he decided to arm himself after "being stabbed on the streets twice before".

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She said: "He was just wandering around and came into issues with a lot of people. He fully accepts that it was not an appropriate way to act."

In his sentencing, Judge Timothy Mousely KC said: "You say your intention was to defend yourself because you have been a victim of previous assaults but that is not an excuse."

He also said the police officer whom McGuigan threatened to spit at was "just doing their job".

"In terms of the incident at Coral Bookmakers, there have been previous incidents involving you and as a result, you were not allowed into the premises but you did and you caused staff a considerable amount of fear and distress," the judge added.