FEMALE jurors were left in tears today after a vicious thug they had just convicted at Maidstone Crown Court hurled abuse at them.

Michael Ring had heard a judge warn that he was facing life imprisonment because he had a previous conviction for wounding with intent.

Before he was led away to the cells, foul-mouthed Ring turned and shouted: “Thanks very much members of the jury, you’ve just given me life.”

The 45-year-old, who during his week-long trial denied five charges, then admitted: “I ******* did it and all - proud of it.”

The court heard how Ring, of Quarry Square, Maidstone, had just been told he was HIV Positive when he slashed his arms in a pub with a broken glass and stabbed another customer with it.

Terrified John Stanley was forced to take an Aids test because of the deep wound to his hand and it was two months before he discovered he had not been infected.

Ring later beat up Lisa Gilham, fracturing her eye socket, and also attacked David Gibbons.

Karen Holt, prosecuting, said Ring was “spoiling for a fight” at the Royal George pub in Boxley Road, Maidstone, on September 20 last year. He told the landlord that he had just had the results of tests that showed he had Aids. He became threatening and abusive to the landlady and she told him to leave.

After taking off his shirt, Ring smashed a pint glass on the counter and slashed at his arms. As he bled he shouted that he was HIV positive.

Mr Stanley, a butcher, told how Ring lunged at him with the broken glass. Mr Stanley picked up a chair to protect himself but Ring inflicted a deep cut to his right hand. He later had five stitches inserted.

Miss Holt said Ring was stopped from injuring others when another customer picked up a snooker cue and hit him twice on the back with it.

In the early hours of the next day he went to Miss Gilham’s home and had more to drink. Miss Gilham told Ring to leave after he shouted abuse at her son. Ring punched her with such force that she was thrown across the room. He kicked her as she lay injured on the floor.

As well as a fractured eye socket, her middle finger was broken. Mr Gibbons was struck on the head and nose as he tried to intervene.

Ring was convicted of wounding Mr Stanley with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, causing Miss Gilham grievous bodily harm with intent and assaulting Mr Gibbons causing him actual bodily harm.

He denied the charges but the jury took less than an hour to find him guilty. He admitted causing Miss Gilham actual bodily harm.

Miss Holt said Ring was jailed for five years, later varied to four years, in June 1984 for slashing a man’s face from his ear to his mouth. The victim died and Ring’s co-accused was convicted of manslaughter.

Before adjourning until June 10 for psychiatric reports, Judge David Croft, QC, said: “He is susceptible to life imprisonment unless there are exceptional circumstances. The primary concern is risk of repetition.“