A drunken man who exposed himself to a policewoman after he was arrested for spitting at cars held at temporary traffic lights has been jailed.

Lucas Alves, 25, was seen by drivers waiting at the lights in Chalkstone Way in Haverhill around 5pm on December 6, 2021, and appeared to be angry and distressed.

Alves punched at the mirrors on a van while shouting, and tried to force his way inside the vehicle, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

He then spat at a car behind the van, which contained a woman and her 10-year-old daughter, before sticking his finger up and making a rude gesture.

Alves then punched the side window of another car, and was racially abusive towards a woman.

Police were called and later that evening, around 8.20pm, Alves was found at Tesco on Cangle Road in Haverhill.

He was arrested and a search of his rucksack revealed a hammer and a large kitchen knife, and he was further arrested for possessing a bladed article in public.

Alves was placed into the back of a police van for transportation to Bury Police Investigation Centre, the court heard.

He then proceeded to spit and urinate in the back of the van before exposing himself and masturbating in front of a female officer.

He also made lewd comments to the officer, making references to her appearance.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the officer said she was "disgusted" by Alves' actions, which made her "uncomfortable and embarrassed".

When he was booked into custody at the police station, Alves urinated on a blanket in his cell and tried to stuff the blanket down a toilet.

The court heard that Alves, of Abington Place, Haverhill, had no previous convictions.

He previously pleaded guilty to exposure, using threatening words or behaviour, criminal damage, possessing a knife, and using racially aggravated words or behaviour before magistrates in December, and was remanded in custody.

Joanne Eley, mitigating, said her client "had no memory of the events that day".

Ms Eley said Alves was self-medicating with alcohol rather than taking his prescribed medication.

She added Alves is "genuinely remorseful" for his actions, and has made "positive changes" to his life since the incident.

On Monday, Judge David Pugh jailed Alves for a total of 12 months, and due to the exposure charge, Alves was also made subject to notification requirements for seven years.