A PROLIFIC criminal who has served more than 30 prison sentences has been banned from drinking alcohol for 100 days after he made a series of threats to kill.

James Hollingsworth, 41, made violent threats to a couple he met at a hotel in Dunmow in July last year.

Chelmsford Crown Court previously heard he accused the pair of getting him kicked out of the hotel, making threats to kill over several telephone calls.

A check confirmed no complaint had been made by other guests, but revealed Hollingsworth had in fact been ordered to leave because he threatened to kill hotel staff.

Later that month, he was staying at another hotel in the area when police received reports he was being abusive to staff.

A member of staff said Hollingsworth had made threats to shoot her, saying “he would be the last person she would see”.

Hollingsworth was arrested, but prepared to spit at an officer as he was placed into the back of a van.

The court heard the officer managed to close the door in time and the spit hit the Perspex glass.

On the journey to the police station, Hollingsworth made repeated threats to an officer, including telling him he would sexually assault him with his baton.

He told officers he had Covid-19 and threatened to spit “at the first officer who opened the cage”.

The court heard Hollingsworth has 36 convictions for 100 offences.

Hollingsworth, previously of North Station Road, Colchester, admitted five counts of making threats to kill, criminal damage and assaulting an emergency worker.

Gavin Burrell, mitigating, had told the court his client suffered with a range of mental health problems, including dissocial personality disorder.

In February, Judge David Turner QC chose to defer sentence to see if the offender could comply with rehabilitation services.

He said Hollingsworth has a “simply shocking record”, adding he had “received something like 33 prison sentences”.

Judge Turner said: “When you came in front of me in February, you had just come out from a short term of imprisonment for yet another offence.

“I was faced with the uncomfortable decision of whether to send you straight back, or to give you the opportunity of showing that you could maintain proper behaviour.”

The judge said he was willing to show leniency given Hollingsworth’s behaviour over the past four months, imposing a 15-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.

The offender must stick to a 100-day alcohol abstinence requirement and complete a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.