A TRAVELLER who clutched a machete while hurling abuse at police officers has been sent to jail for six months after admitting a dozen offences.

Weymouth magistrates heard Robert David Laidlaw, 37, of the Gallows Hill travellers site near Bere Regis, plead guilty to using threatening behaviour and assaulting PC Vanessa Hall and PC Richard Wilson.

He also admitted driving with excess alcohol, two counts of criminal damage, failing to surrender to custody, possession of cannabis, driving without a licence, test certificate and insurance and being drunk and disorderly.

Jonathan Kingdon, prosecuting, said drunken Laidlaw shouted and swore at PC Hall and PC Wilson when they visited the travellers' site on the evening of July 7 to make enquires about a theft in Wool.

He said: "They could see he was reaching to his lower back as if to retrieve something. He followed the officers as they began to withdraw along a track on a public highway.

"PCs Hall and Wilson felt they would be attacked and decided to withdraw because they were concerned for each other's welfare."

Laidlaw threatened four more police officers called to the site, who saw he was holding a machete behind his back.

Laidlaw's girlfriend eventually managed to take the weapon and place it on the ground.

After being handcuffed, Laidlaw kicked PC Wilson in the left leg and PC Hall on the arm.

The court heard how on separate occasions Laidlaw had used a spanner to damage the ventilation system of a police van and caused more than £200 worth of damage by kicking the wheel arch of a white Rover car parked in South Street, Dorchester.

He was also arrested in Hardy Avenue, Weymouth, with nearly three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system.

In mitigation, Ian Graham said Laidlaw was an alcoholic and used the machete to cut firewood. He added Laidlaw had already spent six weeks in police custody and intends to move out of the area on his release.

Laidlaw was sentenced to four months for each assault and four months for threatening behaviour - all to run concurrently. He was also given two monthsfor drink driving, a month each for the criminal damages and failing to appear at court - all concurrent - but was given no separate penalties for the other offences.