A man terrified a family by jumping on their car bonnet and ripping off a wing mirror, as they were driving along Norwich's Prince of Wales Road on a Sunday morning, a court heard.

Paul Knight. 35, also jumped on the bonnet of another passing car causing the driver to halt and when police arrived to arrest him he kicked out and spat at two officers, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Philip Farr, prosecuting, said the driver of the first car targeted by Knight had two young children in the back and said they were terrified by what happened.

He said Knight was swearing and verbally abusive and when officers arrived to arrest him he repeatedly kicked out and was spitting at them.

Mr Farr said: "Clearly he was intoxicated."

He said spit landed on the officers and Knight had to be restrained and a spit guard deployed.

Knight, of William Kett Close, Norwich, admitted common assault on two emergency workers, using threatening words and behaviour and criminal damage in March, this year.

He also admitted assaulting two store staff when he was stopped trying to steal butane gas on November 28, last year, when he bit one of the victims.

He also admitted being in breach of a community order.

Jonathan Goodman, for Knight said his behaviour in Prince of Wales Road was bizarre.

"This is a man on Prince of Wales Road jumping on a bonnet of a car and abusing a number of people."

He said at the time Knight had recently suffered the loss of some of his friends and his actions were more a plea for help.

He said that although Knight had previously been given a community order to help him with his use of alcohol and butane gas addiction, because of lockdown it never got underway.

He said while on remand Knight had managed to get off using butane gas and alcohol but needed help on release to remain that way.

Judge Andrew Shaw jailed Knight for four months and imposed a 12 month supervision order to give Knight help with tackling his addiction.