A Sandys man who unleashed a “barrage of offensive words” against police officers has been given a suspended sentence and ordered to undergo counselling.

Taiheed Talbot, 36, who told Senior Magistrate Juan Wolffe during his court case that he was “still tapped from last night”, pleaded guilty to two counts of using threatening words in Devonshire near Dock Hill and a third at Hamilton Police Station on the same date.

The defendant has a long history of appearing in court, having committed numerous offences stretching back to 1994 for related and unrelated offences.

Prosecutor Loxley Ricketts told Mr Wolffe that Talbot was travelling east on North Shore Road when Police saw him near a motorbike and a man with a wrench in his hand. While speaking to the defendant, Police did a check on the bike and found that there were outstanding warrants for Talbot’s arrest. At this point, Talbot unleashed a “barrage of offensive words”, the court heard.

He told one officer: “If I go to jail, I will kill you, I will kill them. I’ll beat you out of that car. Shut the f*** up,” as well as uttering other expletives.

According to Mr Loxley, the defendant was uncooperative and was placed in a cell.

In court, Talbot told Mr Wolffe: “I’m still tapped from last night; I’ve not had time to sober up.”

Mr Wolffe asked whether he was able to proceed in his state and the defendant assured him he was. He explained that he had just went to his boss’s funeral and he was trying to fix his bike when he was approached by police.

He told the magistrate he felt his constitutional rights were infringed upon and said that he believed he was being targeted because he was black — a comment that Mr Wolffe took particular issue with, describing it as “an aggravated feature of this case”.

Talbot proceeded to plead with the magistrate, telling him that for the first time he had got his own accommodation and was looking after his daughter.

“If I go to jail again, my whole house crumbles,” he said.

Appearing distressed, he said he had spent half of his life in jail.

While the magistrate recognised that Talbot had started to take some responsibilities in his life, he expressed concern that he had not taken responsibility for his criminal actions. “You own that,” Mr Wolffe said.

Talbot replied: “I blame myself and I ask for your leniency; I’ve had some rough times.”

Mr Wolffe sentenced Talbot to six months in prison, but suspended that sentence for one year. The defendant thanked the magistrate, who responded by saying: “Words are cheap.”

The magistrate also set a date for Talbot to pay outstanding unrelated fines, and ordered him to return to the court on April 13 for a separate matter of driving while disqualified to be mentioned.