A 54-year-old who headbutted a police officer and threatened to ‘put a hit out’ on a man has been fined £1,100.

Richard Colvin Cain pleaded guilty to misuse of a telecommunications network and assaulting a police officer.

Magistrates also ordered him to pay £125 prosecution costs.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that the emergency services joint control room received multiple calls from Cain on June 27.

He told them he was going to ‘put out a hit’ on a member of the public, who he knew.

Cain told the call handler that the man was a ‘t***’, he was going to ‘wipe him out’, and he would be ‘dead by the end of the week’.

This prompted officers to go to Cain’s address, where they had to force entry to get in and wrestle the defendant to the floor.

During his anger, Cain headbutted one officer, but it was said to be only a glancing blow which caused no injury.

He was arrested and taken to police headquarters, but continued to make threats, telling officers he would headbutt them and ‘rip their throats out’.

Cain again referred to the male, saying: ‘I’ve got four people on the wings waiting to waste him.’

During a police interview later, Cain said that he had been upset because he claimed the man concerned had used money from a Go Fund Me charity page.

He said that he had started drinking but had no intention of carrying out any of the threats he made, and he had just wanted to scare the man.

A probation report said that Cain, who lives at Edmund Chadwick Grove in Douglas, had mental health issues, but was receiving support, and was working with the Drug and Alcohol Team.

The report said that he had suffered a family bereavement 18 months ago and recommended a financial penalty as the most appropriate sentence.

Defence advocate Kaitlyn Shimmin asked magistrates to follow the recommendation of the report.

The advocate said that Cain was enjoying the support he was receiving in the community.

Magistrates fined the defendant £1,000 for the police assault and £100 for misuse of the telecommunications system.

He will pay the fine and costs at a rate of £20 per fortnight, deducted from benefits.