A MAN spent Christmas day in custody after being arrested for resisting a police officer, magistrates heard.

Algirdas Mikelenas, 33, of Blackmarston Road, Hereford, pleaded guilty to resisting a constable in execution of duty at Hereford Magistrates Court last week.

Owen Beale, prosecuting, said that at 3pm on Christmas Day officers attended an address on Aylestone Hill where Mikelenas was living at the time.

"Mikelenas was in the kitchen and he was clearly very drunk," said Mr Beale.

"Officers tried talking to him to no avail and eventually arrested him for breach of the peace. Mikelenas became rigid and wouldn't led officers handcuff him. He kicked out and lowered his head as if he was going to head-butt them.

"No officers were injured during the course of this."

Marilena Di Vitantonio, mitigating, said that Mikelenas was caught by surprise by the police officers.

She said: "He was waiting for his friends when police arrived which caught him by surprise as he wasn't aware that they were there for him and he doesn't accept that there was an issue. He was detained around 3pm and was in custody until Boxing Day, so spent Christmas Day in custody.

"He accepts he was drunk."

Magistrates ordered Mikelenas to pay a £50 fine, £135 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.