A YORK man who lashed out at NHS staff then spat at a police officer following a drinking session to celebrate his release from prison was today back behind bars.

Jay Anthony Power, 25, also kicked doors at the nurses' quarters and shouted abuse during his violent visit to York Hospital late on May 25, said Allan Armbrister, prosecuting at York Magistrates Court.

Power told police he had been drinking to celebrate his release from prison earlier that day.

His solicitor, Jane Maloney, said his friends had laced his lager with vodka without his knowledge and he had not realised how much alcohol he had had.

"All these offences were carried out on public servants going about their duty for the good of the people," senior magistrate Gill Stilwell told Power. "They were carried out on hospital premises, they were unprovoked, and they included spitting."

She and her colleagues jailed Power for five months. The parole board had already ordered him to serve an extra four-and-a-half months of his previous sentence because he was on prison licence at the time of the assaults.

Power, of Bell Farm Avenue, off Huntington Road, pleaded guilty to three assaults.

Mr Armbrister said the incident began at about 10.05pm when Power was aggressive towards ambulance technician Charles Heppell in the rear of an ambulance at the accident and emergency department.

Power slapped Mr Heppell and hospital security officer David Henderson in the face.

On hearing police had been called, he apologised to the two men, shook hands and walked off. Shortly afterwards, he caused a disturbance at the nurses' quarters.

Police searched the grounds before finding him asleep on some grass. When they awoke him he was aggressive towards them and spat at one.

Miss Maloney said that police had been rough towards Power and had used CS gas on him. He had had "quite a few injuries" on him when arrested.

Power could not remember the incident in the ambulance, but accepted that he had been legitimately taken to hospital. He did not know why he had been aggressive.

He been in custody since May 26 and the parole board had already made him pay a heavy price before he was sentenced for his actions.

Updated: 10:33 Friday, June 18, 2004