by Chris Hunter

A persistent violent offender told police he breached his town centre ban because he'd heard ASBOs had been scrapped.

Banned from Maidstone town centre in December 2009, Darren Turpin, 42, was jailed in March 2010 for consistently breaching the order, then again in September for breaching it the day after he was released from prison.

On Saturday - a day after he'd finished his latest sentence - he was spotted on CCTV, walking through Lockmeadow. When officers caught up with him in Hart Street, he told them he thought the ban was no longer effective because he'd heard the orders had been scrapped, telling them: “My ASBO don’t count for anything any more. I saw it on the news.”

In fact his ASBO - imposed after Turpin commited 150 offences since 1985 including 18 assaults on police officers - is still effective until December this year.

Prosecutor Edward Parton relayed the events that followed to Maidstone Magistrates' Court on Monday, recounting how, on the way back to the police station, Turpin had dealt officers an X-rated tirade of abuse.

Once back at the station he's told an officer: “One day I’m going to spread your nose across your face, mate.”

Magistrates were also treated to a dose of his venom when they sentenced him to another 160 days in prison.

On being sent down he turned to the bench and yelled: “Is that the best you can do?" and levelled a foul mouth dictate at them before being led out of the court.