Man jailed for homophobic insults at York Pride

Martin Butterworth, prosecuting, said Glen Kenneth Marsh, 45, objected to the event and the participants as they assembled outside the West Door to York Minster at 11.15am on June 10.

Among his comments were: "Remove the make up from your face, it's ... disgusting" and, to a police officer: "..... gay bitch".

As two officers restrained him, he punched the policewoman in the chest.

Marsh, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to assaulting the police officer and homophobic abuse. He was on prison licence at the time having been released partway through a 20-month sentence for carrying a knife in York city centre.

York magistrates jailed him for two months and ordered him to pay a £115 statutory surcharge.

He told them that following his arrest outside York Minster, the Parole Board had recalled him to prison for the remaining eight months of his sentence.

Asked why he had made his homosexual insults and hit the policewoman, he said: "I cannot really remember. I was drinking whisky all day. Everything is blurry to me. I don't really remember the actual day - I just remember waking up in the police station and to be honest, that is all I remember."

Mr Butterworth said a member of the public heard him making "unsuitable comments" and alerted the officers.

They spoke to him and he agreed to "move away and sleep on another bench".

But he continued to be abusive about those taking part in York Pride and they started to arrest him.

He had a bottle in his hand, which they took off him, and as they put handcuffs on him, he punched the policewoman. She was not injured.

The parade took place amid tight security as it came less than a month after the Manchester Arena bombing and less than a fortnight after the London Borough Market terror attack.

Armed officers were on the streets along the route but the event was so peaceful, community police officers were able to don rainbow bootlaces and face paint to join in the spirit.