A MAN has been jailed for being racially threatening at a Suffolk music event.Carl McRunnell, swore at a security guard and said: "Get your Paki hands off me and got back to where you came from," at the Music on the Green festival in Martlesham.

A MAN has been jailed for being racially threatening at a Suffolk music event.

Carl McRunnell, swore at a security guard and said: "Get your Paki hands off me and got back to where you came from," at the Music on the Green festival in Martlesham.

South East Suffolk Magistrates Court heard McRunnell, 40 of St Andrews Place, Ipswich has 22 convictions for 64 offences of drunkenness and violence.

The security guard from the Douglas Bader pub had stepped in to help when McRunnell became aggressive when police officers arrested him for offences he committed earlier in the year.

The court heard that on May 15 in New Street, Woodbridge, a policeman was reprimanding a youth when American-born McRunnell walked past and swore at the officer.

He later said he was singing his own version of a Pink Floyd song which went "hey copper leave our kids alone".

The officer warned McRunnell about his behaviour but he continued to be abusive and was arrested with the use of cuffs and CS spray.

When the officer called for assistance and McRunnell was loaded into a police van he spat at the officer's face.

However McRunnell said he was just spitting out the CS spray and had not meant to assault the officer. He was released on bail but failed to appear in court on May 20.

A warrant was issued for his arrest. McRunnell pleaded guilty to using racially aggregated behaviour, assaulting a policeman, using threatening behaviour, resisting arrest and failing to surrender to custody.

Claire Hullock mitigating said all the offences had taken place when her client was drunk and he had missed his court date due to work commitments. She said McRunnell was a road worker who admitted "my big mouth gets me into trouble when I have had a drink".

She added that McRunnell apologised for the way he spoke to the security guard and admitted: "It was totally unacceptable."

District Judge David Cooper heard that McRunnell had a partner of 10 years and two children aged 16 and 18. He sentenced McRunnell to 42 days in prison and fined him £100 for being racially threatening.

He said: "These are kid-type offences, you are getting too old for these sort of offences, it is time you grew up."