IPSWICH: A drunk is today back behind bars after breaching an order for the 26th time.

Daniel Palmer, of Lacey Street, was jailed for three months after violating the terms of a 2007 anti-social behaviour order and being found drunk in public.

The 28-year-old kicked and spat at police officers in his three latest breaches in March, which came just days after he was released from prison.

Palmer’s case echoes that of notorious Ipswich alcoholic Roy Hagley, who has battled his addiction for more than three decades and has 150 convictions to his name.

The court heard Palmer kicked a police officer three times in the leg after he was arrested for being drunk at Ipswich Hospital on March 6. He was bailed but just two days later he spat at two officers at Ipswich railway station after another drunken disturbance. Then, on March 12, he had to be wrestled to the ground by officers at Cox Lane Car Park after being drunk and abusive.

Judge Peter Fenn, sentencing Palmer, who had pleaded guilty to the charges at an earlier hearing, said: “There is nothing I can say that you have probably not heard before.

“You clearly have an alcohol problem and from time-to-time you express a need to address that problem and from time-to-time you’re successful.

“But then something occurs which puts you back into the position of drinking and breaching this anti-social behaviour order.

“Your future is really in your hands and while one has sympathy for someone in your position one also has to have sympathy for the public officials who come across your drunk behaviour.

“I hope, somewhere within you, you find the strength to fight these demons.”

David Wilson, mitigating for Palmer, said: “All I can say in the circumstances is to keep the custodial sentence as short as your honour can.

“It’s quite clear his offending behaviour is not borne out by a need to injure himself or others, although this is a by-product of his drinking.”

Judge Fenn gave Palmer a 12-week sentence for each breach of the ASBO, to run concurrently. He was also given a four-week sentence for each of the three assault charges, to run alongside each other and the jail term for the ASBO breaches.

Last year Palmer was jailed for laying in the middle of the road and removing his clothes whilst breaching his order,