A THUG who used a knuckle duster to punch a van half a dozen times in front of shocked rush hour drivers will be sentenced by a judge in May.

Swindon magistrates were told Mark Day had to be grappled to the ground by a number of police officers – as successive attempts to stop him by officers using a taser, PAVA pepper spray and baton proved unsuccessful.

Appearing in the dock at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Saturday morning, the 32-year-old, of Roman Meadow, Downton, pleaded guilty to affray, assaulting two police officers, possession of a Stanley knife, threatening a person with a knuckle duster and possession of cannabis.

Keith Ballinger, prosecuting, said Day had been spotted acting strangely along London Road, Salisbury, shortly before 8am on Friday morning.

One driver told police she had seen him place a knuckle duster on his hand. He was said to have stepped into the line of traffic and punched the panels of a van six to eight times, also taking a swipe at the passenger window.

Despite deploying a taser, PAVA spray and using a baton, police officers called to the scene were initially unable to restrain Day. Eventually, they managed to wrestle him to the ground and placed him in leg restraints.

Two police officers were injured in the scuffle, as Day attempted to resist arrest. When he was searched, officers found a Stanley knife and a quantity of cannabis among his possessions.

Magistrates were told Day has two previous convictions for weapon possession, meaning he faces a jail term for this, his third conviction. He has also recently received a suspended sentence from a Spanish court for a holiday assault on a former partner.

Defending, Jonathan Lewis said the incident involving the van had lasted a matter of seconds and he had not hit the vehicle hard enough to damage it.

He had not intended to strike the police officers, with the injuries sustained in the course of his client attempting to resist arrest.

Due to the seriousness of the offences, magistrates said the case would have to be sentenced at the crown court.

There were cheers from the public gallery as JPs bailed Day to appear before Salisbury Crown Court on May 3. He must live and sleep at his Roman Meadow address and sign on at Salisbury police station every day.

However, chairman of the bench Jane Flew warned him against breaching his bail conditions, saying of Salisbury police officers: “They’ll be watching you. Make no mistake.”