A man who threw porridge at the wall of his cell is now serving it after he was jailed for three years.

Paul Farrell’s crime spree included damaging his police cell by hurling porridge at the wall, spitting, urinating on the floor and trying to flood the room by blocking the toilet.

Farrell, 33, of Grattan Studies, Sunbridge Road, Bradford, knew he was wanted for breaching a court order and “went on the rampage,” his barrister conceded today.

He stole from a string of shops in Bradford, racially abused security officers and committed a smash and grab burglary at Poundland in Forster Square, prosecutor Jayne Beckett told Bradford Crown Court.

He pleaded guilty to the offences and to failing to comply with the notification require-ments of a convicted sex offender, between August 19 and 25 last year, by not telling the police where he was going when he left a hostel.

He also admitted sending a malicious communication to two female housing officers, threatening to kill one of them.

Farrell, who was addicted to Spice, spat at a health worker through the cell door hatch on December 28 last year, the saliva landing on her.

“This was a disgusting offence made all the more serious by the fact we were in the middle of a pandemic and you could have had the virus. You also spat at the detention officer alongside her and struck him with saliva,” Judge Mansell said.

On March 13, Farrell stole three electric shavers from Boots in Forster Square Retail Park and the following day, he was chased from Marks & Spencer after stealing a body warmer.

He went on to shoplift baby milk from Tesco on Peel Street and to racially abuse a secu-rity guard. He brandished a bread knife towards the guard and the manager as he ran away.

Farrell then committed further offences of shop theft in Bradford, at Next, Home Bar-gains and Food Warehouse and assaulted two police officers by spitting at them.

His barrister, Soheil Khan, said he was now rid of his Spice addiction after he was re-manded in custody.

He was determined to stay clear of drugs in the future and apologised for his offences.

Farrell, who also admitted possession of Spice, was jailed for a total of three years.

Judge Mansell said he had a prolific criminal record dating back to when he was a juvenile

“You have previously been convicted of numerous offences of shop theft and burglary, common assault and battery and threatening behaviour, sending offensive or menacing messages and damaging property,” he told him.