A dad bit a police officer on the leg after smashing belongings at his ex-partner’s home in Bury.

Bradd Sutton got into an argument with the woman on August 4 last year and she asked him to leave, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Megan Horner said the woman then left the property and told him she expected him to have been gone when she returned.

But he called her and she could hear “banging” and “smashing” in the background.

Police were called and found the home was in a “serious state of disrepair”, including the door being knocked off its hinge.

Sutton was present and “smelt of alcohol”.

As he was being arrested he bit the back of a police officer’s calf, the court was told.

A victim impact statement from the woman said she suffered from anxiety and struggled to pay for the cost of the damage, which was estimated to have been £1,500.

A statement from the officer said he had to go to hospital to have injections.

But Sutton repeatedly contacted his ex-partner, with her even sending him £30 to “keep him away”.

He continued to send abusive messages and threatened to “kill her”. He was then arrested and he gave a “no comment” interview.

In another case, Sutton sent messages to a woman in Rochdale in May asking her to join him at a property.

But when she ignored him, he became threatening, leading the victim to feel the safety of her and a friend were at risk.

The court was also told about a "prolonged" and "persistent" bout of dangerous driving he committed in March last year.

A driver on the A680 in Edenfield reported seeing a van driven by Sutton “swerving all over the road” and called the police.

Sutton crashed several times during the incident and the vehicle ended up on its roof.

Two cans of Stella and cannabis were found in the van but Sutton refused to provide blood samples.

The court heard the 35-year-old had 10 convictions for 24 offences, including incidents involving violence.

Defending, Betsy Hindle said Sutton had a difficult upbringing, he is remorseful towards all the victims in the cases and he has been in custody for around six months.

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Sutton, of Sandfield Road, Rochdale, pleaded guilty to offences including assaulting an emergency worker, criminal damage, harassment, stalking and dangerous driving.

Judge Matthew Corbett-Jones took into account that the defendant has been compliant with previous court orders before and was able to impose a suspended sentence by a narrow margin.

He added that sending Sutton to prison would affect his accommodation arrangements and that a custodial sentence would not leave him behind bars much longer than he had already served.

Judge Corbett-Jones sentenced him to 22 months in prison suspended for two years, ordered him to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days, follow a three-month curfew and disqualified him from driving for two years.

He told Sutton that it is clear that the root of the defendant’s offending is when he takes alcohol and drugs and he must address the problem.

Judge Corbett-Jones added: “You have been given an opportunity today, I trust that will not be squandered.”