A MAN who threatened to sexually assault a police officer with a baton also made threats to shoot a hotel worker – telling her “he would be the last person she would see”.

James Hollingsworth, 40, made violent threats to a couple he met at a hotel in Dunmow in July last year.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard he accused the pair of getting him kicked out of the hotel, making threats to kill over several telephone calls.

A check confirmed no complaint had been made by other guests, but revealed Hollingsworth had in fact been ordered to leave because he threatened to kill hotel staff.

Later that month, he was staying at another hotel in the area when police received reports he was being abusive to staff.

A member of staff said Hollingsworth had made threats to shoot her, saying “he would be the last person she would see”.

Hollingsworth was arrested, but prepared to spit at an officer as he was placed into the back of a van.

The court heard the officer managed to close the door in time and the spit hit the Perspex glass.

On the journey to the police station, Hollingsworth made repeated threats to an officer, including telling him he would sexually assault him with his baton.

He told officers he had Covid-19 and threatened to spit “at the first officer who opened the cage”.

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The court heard Hollingsworth has 36 convictions for 100 offences.

Hollingsworth, of North Station Road, Colchester, admitted five counts of making threats to kill, criminal damage and assaulting an emergency worker.

Gavin Burrell, mitigating, said his client suffered with a range of mental health problems, including dissocial personality disorder.

He said: "He is prone to erratic behaviour, where sometimes he lashes out with his tongue or his fists.”

But Mr Burrell said Hollingsworth had begun to make progress in accepting treatment.

Judge David Turner QC agreed to defer sentence for four months to give Hollingsworth the chance to prove he can comply with rehabilitation requirements.

Judge Turner added: “If you put a foot wrong in that four months and you don’t come good on these various expectations, the sentence will be measured in years. The choice is yours.”