A DRUNK who threatened to set passers-by on fire during an alcohol-fuelled tirade of abuse has been jailed.

Jose Phillips went on to hurl obscenities at police and the public in the city centre after trying to set a plastic bag on fire.

The 58-year-old of no fixed abode, had first been made subject to a criminal behaviour order in 2017.

The prolific offender, with more than 100 previous crimes to his name, later admitted breaching that order by using abusive and insulting words or behaviour at Oxford’s Gloucester Green.

READ ALSO: Coronavirus updates for Oxfordshire.

At his sentencing at Oxford Crown Court yesterday prosecutor Cathy Olliver said the outburst took place on March 4 this year.

Phillips was sat on a bench drunk near to the Falafel House in the square.

He was seen to have a plastic bag around his neck which he attempted to set on fire.

When members of the public came to intervene he became abusive and began shouting obscenities at them.

The police were called and he continued shouting abuse at officers before he was arrested.

He went on to admit breaching the criminal behaviour order by his abusive behaviour on that day.

The court also heard at his sentencing hearing that Phillips has a long history of previous crimes, made up of 74 convictions for 130 offences.

READ ALSO: Bicester Village is CLOSED as lockdown begins.

Included in that tally are 33 previous breaches of court orders.

In mitigation defence barrister Francis Howard said that his client was a ‘street alcoholic.’

He added that Phillips had been living homeless for a long period of time.

Describing the offence he said it was ‘a feckless and reckless act in drink.’

Sentencing, recorder Michael Roques said the offence was one that had to merit an immediate jail term and could not be suspended.

He said: “This was a deliberate breach but not the most serious.

“The harm was not significant in this case but neither was it very minor.

“The offence is terribly aggravated by your previous convictions.”

Phillips was jailed for 12 weeks and must pay a statutory victim surcharge.

Recorder Roques told him: “Please do what you can not to breach it, the sentences are simply going to get longer and longer.”

The existing criminal behaviour was also ordered to continue.