Drunk Travelodge guest attacked hotel worker and police

He panicked and his actions put a female receptionist at the Travelodge in St Annes in fear of her life.

It was only her screams for help which alerted another guest who intervened and stopped what she believed were the attempts of 21-year-old Lawrence Knight to drag her into his room .

The woman victim has been asked for towels by Knight who had downed a cocktail of Irish liqueur and rum after being kicked out of his girlfriend's home in the town.

Police had become involved in that domestic incident and then allowed Knight,of Pound Farm Drive, Harwich, Essex, to stay at the hotel .

Blackpool magistrates heard how, after the incident involving the hotel staff member, police chased Knight through St Annes before he confronted officers angrily on St Albans Road.

He punched one woman officer and struggled with another before being pepper sprayed.

Knight, who had lived in St Annes for three months, admitted assaulting the hotel worker and the female officer and resisting the male officer.

He was given a 12 week jail term suspended for 18 months and 25 rehabilitation days and 200 hours unpaid work.

He must pay his victims a total of £200 in compensation.

Gary McAnulty, defending, said his client had been treated for depression and what happened on the night his belief he could smell poison in his hotel room was an attack of paranoia.

In a victim's statement the receptionist said she felt her life would have been in danger had he been successful in dragging her into his room.