A MAN who verbally abused a prison officer before spitting in her face has been jailed.

Jeremiah O'Sullivan launched the shocking prison attack just weeks into the first national lockdown.

The 56-year-old had admitted one count of assault of an emergency worker.

He was sentenced for that crime at Oxford Crown Court yesterday.

Outlining the case prosecutors said O'Sullivan was at HMP Bullingdon on April 16 this year.

READ ALSO: Men on trial for attack at HMP Bullingdon cleared by jury.

The court heard that when he arrived he was kept 'in a form of isolation' as a result of the lockdown earlier this year.

Alone in his cell he rang a call bell and two prison officers duly arrived to investigate.

O'Sullivan then delivered a 'torrent of abuse' towards one man before he continued to be extremely abusive to a female member of staff.

During the incident O'Sullivan spat at the woman, which covered her face and hair.

The victim described the assault as 'disgusting' and said it 'should not be tolerated' while performing her duties as a prison officer.

The court also heard that he had previous convictions that included a 'huge amount of similar types of behaviour.'

O'Sullivan declined legal representation and defended himself at court.

He said that he had been living homeless on the streets of Milton Keynes and that he suffered from mental health problems.

Sentencing, Judge Ian Pringle QC called the incident 'wholly unacceptable.'

O'Sullivan was jailed for 26 weeks and must pay a statutory victim surcharge.

That sentence will run consecutive to an existing jail term that he was previously handed for a string of assaults and criminal damage.

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