'Truly disgraceful behaviour': Yob threatened police while his son pleaded for him to stop

Craig Hirst pushed a settee against the door and hurled abuse at the officers who had been called to the property on The Green, Airedale, to reports of a domestic incident.

Philip Standfast, prosceuting, told Leeds Crown Court the officers were called at around midnight on May 2 last year.

They could hear banging and clattering and then Hirst came to the upstairs window and began shouting at them.

The officers tried to calm him down because there was also child crying at the window, pleading with Hirst to stop.

Hirst told the police that he had firearms in the flat.

At one point the 35-year-old shouted: "I'm one of the hardest blokes in the world" and threatened to attack the officers if they tried to enter the building.

Concerned for the child's welfare, they were able to get into flat, despite the settee being pushed up against the door.

However, he continued to struggle as he was being put in the van and racially abused one officer.

He gave no comment during the police interview.

Hirst pleaded guilty to affray and racially-aggravated threatening or abusive words or behaviour.

Hirst, of The Green, Castleford, has six convictions for eight offences, including multiple assaults.

He said: "You engaged in a truly disgraceful piece of behaviour in regard to the police.

"What went through your head I struggle to understand, especially as it was all done in front of your young child."

He gave him six months' jail, suspended for two years, 80 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation days.