A homeless man who threatened to kill a paramedic thanked a judge for sending him to jail as he was led away, telling him: “Thanks Gerald.”

Andrew Bell, 39, who has a long history of breaking the law so he can get a bed for the night, grinned as he was put in handcuffs and led from the dock at Carlisle's magistrates court.

The court heard that Bell has previously breached his Asbo on 61 occasions – including 11 times this year.

He had admitted breaching his Asbo order by refusing to leave The Cumberland Infirmary's A&E department when asked to and by threatening a paramedic who was treating him.

Peter Kelly, prosecuting, described how Bell turned up at the hospital's A&E Department at 1.15am on Sunday when he asked a security guard for a blanket and a coffee.

“That was refused and he was asked to leave,” said Mr Kelly.

“He became aggressive, and he was asked to leave several more times. He was told the police would be attending but left before they arrived.”

Later that morning, paramedics were called to Carlisle's railway station following a report that the defendant was self-harming, and threatening to kill himself, said Mr Kelly.

The paramedic who lead the response judged that Bell, who wanted to be taken back to hospital, was not seriously hurt, When he realised he would not be going to the Infirmary, Bell became abusive, telling the paramedic: “I'll slit your throat as well and put you in the river.”

The confrontation left the paramedic concerned about future occasions when ambulance staff would have to deal with Bell.

John Smith, for Bell, said his client had been released from Durham Prison on Friday, June 17, with nowhere to live.

“His biggest problem is a lack of accommodation,” said the lawyer.

The Probation Service had tried to get him a place in a hostel in Egremont, in west Cumbria, but they had been unable at that time to find a spare bed for him, said Mr Smith.

The lawyer said: “He uses alcohol to cope with life. “He apparently should have been assisted by the Prison Service but they had not put anything in place, so he was released with nowhere to go. The Probation Service put in a lot of effort to find him accommodation.

“The probation officer spoke to Carlisle City Council but Mr Bell doesn't get a high priority. When the John Street hostel is up and running he'll be able to go there, but for now he's left walk the streets.

“He's breached his Asbo before just to get a bed for the night.”

District Judge Gerald Chalk jailed Bell for 70 days, noting that both offences involved aggression towards professional health service staff.