A HEROIN addict who spends £50 a day on the drug assaulted railway staff on two occasions, magistrates in Worcester were told.

Nathan Capewell, of Church Road, Malvern, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault when he appeared in court.

Prosecutor Mark Johnson said that 30-year-old Capewell had been on a train at Malvern on June 6 when guard Ryan Jones asked him for a ticket.

Capewell told him to come back in a minute, but when Mr Jones returned after checking other passengers’ tickets, Capewell said: “We’ll sort this out in a bit.”

Mr Jones realised what was happening and told Mr Capewell to produce a ticket or leave the train, said Mr Johnson.

There was a confrontation and Capewell threw cider from the can he was holding over Mr Jones.

A rail colleague came to help and Capewell left, shouting threats to Mr Jones.

The second assault took place on July 17 at Worces-ter and involved Matthew Toomey, a train driver from Worcester.

Also present was Mr Jones, who had been assaulted the previous month.

Capewell started shouting at Mr Jones, recalling the previous confrontation, and grabbed him.

Mr Toomey grabbed Capewell and they ended up on the floor.

Capewell also admitted three fraud charges in Worcester.

In each case he paid for items and then said he had handed over a larger denomination bank-note and demanded more change.

He did this in the Co-op, Lichfield Road, the Great Western Hotel, Shrub Hill, and Sandwich Express, Shrub Hill, for a total of £40.

In defence, Kate Oliver said that Capewell’s life was unstable and dependent on heroin.

“He has a daily habit of up to £50 of heroin. He has used heroin for a long time and he has reached a point in his life when he wants to tackle the problem.”

Capewell was jailed for 12 weeks on each of the three fraud charges, but magistrates suspended the sentence for 12 months on condition that he is supervised by the probation services and undergoes a six-month drug rehabilitation programme.

Capewell was also fined £90 on each of the assault charges and told to pay a total of £265 in costs, compensation and victim surcharges.