A 43-YEAR-old 20 stone Stourbridge thug who had to be tasered twice by police officers after escaping from a police van has been put behind bars for 42 months.

Nathan Williams, who was 6ft 2" tall, threatened one of the officers with a syringe which he said he would "stick in his throat" as he was being taken to a Black Country police station.

He had been arrested for threatening security guards with a knife when he made his escape bid, Lynette McClements prosecuting told Wolverhampton Crown Court.

She said Williams who was handcuffed had been calm when he got into the police van but when the vehicle stopped at traffic lights he suddenly put his arms over the head of the one officer and pulled him back.

Williams then maintained he had the syringe, with the officer - fearing their prisoner might attempt to take the vehicle - managing to remove the ignition key.

"It happened so fast," said PC Mark Dunn who was with PC Nigel Gaskin. "It came out of the blue. I decided to draw my Taser and as I pulled it out I pointed it at him and told him to get back."

Williams then refused to get into the custody cage in the rear of the van and he fled on foot with the two policemen giving chase, added Miss McClements.

They then approached Williams who had 150 previous convictions on his criminal record and he was tasered twice before being taken back into custody.

Williams of Pebble Close, Stourbridge, the court was told, had been involved in two shoplifting incidents at stores in Dudley two months earlier when he threatened the guards with a knife.

He pleaded guilty to assault, escaping from police custody, racially aggravated harassment and making a threat with a bladed article.

Simon Rippon defending said he was full of remorse for his actions adding: "He is deeply sorry for his offending - particularly for the possession of the knife and the assault on the police officer."