A HOMELESS man was spared jail after biting a police officer in the leg and punching another in the face.

Robbie Stephens pleaded guilty to both offences at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Monday and was given a 22-week suspended sentence lasting 18 months.

Prosecutor Christopher Hanges told the magistrates the first assault happened days after a crown court judge had spared Stephens from jail, giving him a chance to behave.

The 23-year-old had appeared before Judge Zoe Smith at Oxford Crown Court in May for breaching a five-year ban from Blackbirds Leys.

She ordered him to stay at Clarks Row Hostel in Oxford for two weeks to see if he could behave himself, with the condition that he check in with staff twice a day.

But days later on May 14, after Stephens failed to check in at noon or 5pm as required, Mr Hanges said staff called the police. Because he was in breach of Judge Smith’s order, officers said they had to arrest him, but Mr Hanges said Stephens resisted and ended up in a scuffle on the floor with Pc Matt Brockfield.

Mr Hanges said Stephens was on top of Pc Brockfield, then bit his leg. Other offices at the scene then had to use pepper spray and batons to subdue him, Mr Hanges added.

The court also heard Stephens lost a tooth in the incident.

The second assault happened at Bullingdon Prison on May 29, when Stephen punched a different officer who was interviewing him.

Defending Stephens, Tim Baker said his client had a difficult upbringing, in care homes from the age of eight, and a custodial sentence would not help him find stability.

Sentencing him, magistrates said they wanted to help him break his cycle of activity, and so spared him from jail.

But they also ordered him to pay an £80 victim’s surcharge, £100 compensation to Pc Brockfield and a £150 criminal courts charge.

Stephens was banned from Blackbird Leys, Greater Leys and Rose Hill for five years on December 15 under the terms of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order .

Oxford Magistrates’ Court made the order after police said Stephens made a string of abusive comments to women and girls in Blackbird Leys on September 19.

Thames Valley Police said he also assaulted his own grandfather that day and police officers who tried to arrest him.

He broke the order twice.