A REFORMED Felixstowe "bad boy" convicted of spitting at a policeman has talked his way out of a harsher sentence.Mark Senski, 30, told South East Suffolk Magistrates' court he had been a naughty boy in the past but now spent six days a week building up his cargo handling business.

A REFORMED Felixstowe "bad boy" convicted of spitting at a policeman has talked his way out of a harsher sentence.

Mark Senski, 30, told South East Suffolk Magistrates' court he had been a naughty boy in the past but now spent six days a week building up his cargo handling business.

Senski, of Hamilton Road, admitted spitting at a Felixstowe police officer as he arrested him on suspicion of burglary in the early hours of July 21.

He told the court: "I know I was wrong. But I had had a lot to drink. I was going from the club to the kebab shop.

"The police saw I was drunk and in the area where there had been a robbery. I reacted in a bad way, that's why I'm here now. These days I try to keep myself out of trouble."

He told the court how after putting drugs behind him, he had built up his cargo handler business to have branches in London, Felixstowe and Tilbury.

He said: "I import coffee and cocoa . I run two gangs of eight workers in all."

Prosecutor Sandra Dyer described how Senski spat at a police officer.

She said: "It was in the early hours when Mr Senski was arrested. He was drunk at the time.

"One officer took his right arm and when another officer went to take his left arm the defendant spat at him. The spit landed on his face and upper body."

Defender Roger Thomson said: "Mr Senski had drunk a bit when he was jumped on by a number of officers who arrested him on suspicion of burglary. He overreacted because he felt he shouldn't have been arrested."

When asked about two drug convictions in 1997 and 1998, Senski said: "I was a naughty boy but that's all in the past."

Chairman of the Bench David Coe ordered Senski, who admitted assaulting a police officer, to pay a £200 fine and £40 compensation to the officer involved. He was also ordered to pay £55 costs.

In passing sentence, Mr Coe said: "I hope Mr Thomson will not take offence when I say his client has spoken more eloquently in his defence than perhaps he could. I have taken what he said into account when passing sentence."