A controlling bully telephoned the police claiming he was armed with a gun, intending to shoot a former lover, a court has heard.

Peter Coen, 35, told officers “she had made him go to prison a few times”- and he now wanted revenge.

His ex was given a security warning and Coen, of Margate, was later arrested.

Canterbury Crown Court heard how he then turned on the police officers and threw a bike at PC Giorgia Amato’s legs.

Coen was restrained by the brave officer but lashed out again, this time hitting PC James Fox in the face and PC Amato in the chest.

Prosecutor Tom Dunn told the court how he had put a belt around the neck of his ex-girlfriend and tightened it and later tried to strangle her, causing her to flee her home.

The judge, John Recorder Bate-Williams jailed him for a total of 15 months after Coen admitted three assaults, using threatening and coercive behaviour and making a threat to kill.

He told him: “Your relationship with your victim, which began in 2013, was volatile from the start and that’s why a restraining order was issued.

“You are clearly a violent man and you have simply not learned what every young man knows that you never hit a woman.

"You engaged in clearly controlling and coercive behaviour in May and June this year.”

He added: “Your conduct towards the police officers, who were simply doing their duty, was disgusting.”