A MAN has been jailed after throwing a traffic cone at police officers and making homophobic comments.

Alex Hayes, 35, was handed a prison sentence at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday (October 31) after being charged with one count of causing harassment, alarm or distress by using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour, thereby causing that person or another harassment, alarm or distress.

The incident occurred on August 13 this year in Amersham. The court heard that Hayes had been drunk and had been using drugs before harassing the officers for an hour, leaving them with ‘no option’ but to arrest him.

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It was heard that not only did Hayes throw a traffic cone towards the police constables but he had also been making homophobic comments towards the officers.

Sentencing Hayes, Judge Leslie Cuthbert summarised the offence and told Hayes he had ‘no one to blame’ but himself for finding himself in custody and facing a prison sentence.

“You are far from a stranger to the courts,” he said. “You were caught making homophonic comments towards police officers, which I shall not repeat, after using drugs and alcohol.

“You abused officers for almost an hour and they have no option but to arrest you. You threw a traffic cone at them.

“I recognise you have spent a lot of time in custody but you have no one to blame but yourself.”

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He sentenced Hayes, of Kent Close, Mitcham, London, to six weeks in jail for the harassment charge and a further six weeks for breaching a previous suspended sentence Hayes was serving at the time of the offence for a similar charge.

Judge Cuthbert urged Hayes not to ‘go back to consuming drugs and alcohol’ as soon as he is released halfway through his sentence and stated that at his age he should be ‘mature’ enough to avoid making similar mistakes.

After sentencing, His Honour said: “If you don’t want to spend more time in custody, it is in your own hands and only you have the power not to act in the antisocial and abusive way you have in the past.

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“And at your age of 35 you should be adult and mature enough not to make the same mistakes repeatedly.”

Appearing over a video link from prison, with a large beard and wearing a white t-shirt, Hayes agreed with the judge and responded: “No. No way.”