A DRUNK man with a history of violence trashed a police car in Worcester as officers responded to an emergency call - but the lout was so inebriated he could not even remember doing it.

Luke Harborne caused £467 of damage to West Mercia Police's Vauxhall Astra which had been driven by an officer responding to an unrelated incident at the Fownes Hotel in Worcester.

The 25-year-old of Gregory's Bank, Worcester appeared over videolink from prison at Worcester Magistrates Court on Thursday where he admitted causing criminal damage in November last year. The court heard how the defendant already owed the court more than £6,500 in fines before he decided to break the car's windows, including the windscreen.

We reported in November 2019 how the serial offender was jailed for 23 weeks after attacking a woman who was eight weeks pregnant in front of two children.

He admitted the assault which happened on June 29, 2019 when he appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday, November 15, 2019.

Harborne was given a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order which included a ban from Oldbury Road, Worcester.

The CBO also prohibited Harborne from behaving in a manner that causes, or is likely to cause, alarm harassment and distress and from refusing to leave a premises or area when asked by someone who has authority to do so.

He has previous convictions for assault and breaching a restraining order. When he was 21 he was jailed for 15 months for assaulting two men who refused to let him use drugs (crack cocaine) in their homes, fracturing one victim's cheekbone at an address in Rodborough Drive on September 4, 2015. One of the victims was described at the time as a vulnerable man with mental health difficulties

The most recent incident involving damage to the police car happened on November 24 last year and by the charge Harborne admitted that he intended to destroy or damage the property or being reckless as to whether such property was destroyed or damaged.

Mark Hambling, prosecuting, said officers were attending an incident at the Fownes for 'an unrelated matter'.

He said: "Upon returning they saw that their vehicle was damaged - the front windscreen and the driver's side window has been smashed."

Harborne was identified and arrested. He accepted damaging the car but told officers in interview he was 'too drunk to remember anything'.

"He states it must have been him because the evidence says it was him but he just can't remember anything" said Mr Hambling.

The court heard that Harborne also had a previous conviction for criminal damage having been found guilty of that offence.

Mr Hambling asked magistrates to award £467 compensation and £135 costs.

Mark Turnbull, defending, said: "He has little memory of what happened."

Harborne had entered a guilty plea at the first available opportunity, he said.

The solicitor accepted that the fact the damage was against a police car was an aggravating feature. "Mr Harborne does not have a particularly good relationship with the police," he said.

Probation asked that an existing community order, imposed on October 17, 2019 by magistrates in Kidderminster be revoked.

This request was granted by magistrates. The court heard that Harborne already owes £6,567 in outstanding fines.

Magistrates made a compensation order, awarded West Mercia Police the full amount for the damage to the car. This will be consolidated with Harborne's existing fines.