A Douglas man has been fined £300 after throwing water over a police officer.

Matthew David Joseph Prendergast also threw food around a police cell which resulted in it having to be cleaned.

He pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer and property damage and was also ordered by magistrates to pay a £150 cleaning fee.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that Prendergast, who lives at Marathon Road in Douglas, was initially arrested in relation to another matter, for which no further action was taken, on July 24.

He was at police headquarters in a cell when he was given a meal.

Prendergast was described as agitated and threw the food in the cell, which resulted in it having to be cleaned for a standard charge of £150.

The 37-year-old was said to have continued to have been belligerent and then threw a cup of water over a police officer.

Defence advocate Helen Lobb said that her client had been in a state of intoxication at the time of the offences and had acted in anger.

Ms Lobb said that there had been no actual damage to the police cell and that Prendergast had apologised to officers over the intercom a few hours later.

The advocate went on to say that the offences were out of character, as her client did not have a history of such offences, and that he had now distanced himself from a negative peer group.

Magistrates fined the defendant £200 for the police assault and £100 for the property damage.

He was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs and will pay all amounts at a rate of £10 per week, deducted from benefits.