A Bristol man sank two bottles of wine before telling a female police officer he was Hannibal Lector and was going to bite out her throat, a court heard.

David Scadding made the comment before spitting at her from his cell in Southmead Police Station.

The 42-year-old, of Stapleton Road, Easton, pleaded guilty at Bristol Magistrates' Court to assaulting the police officer on September 7.

He also pleaded guilty to using threatening and abusive language which was racially aggravated towards doorman Piotr Kurgman in Park Street on the same date.

Kirsty Allman, prosecuting, said it was about 10.15pm when the doorman of Antix bar on Park Street observed Scadding shouting racial abuse at people in the street.

"When he got to the doorway of Antix he asked if the doorman was English," Miss Allman said.

"He said he wasn't and the defendant told him to f*** off back to his own country or he would f*** him up.

"He then tried to shake the doorman's hand but he refused. The defendant continued to say the same things over and over again.

"The police attended and he was arrested and was verbally aggressive and abusive to officers.

"He was taken to a cell and placed under constant supervision with PC Johns outside.

"He said to her 'I am Hannibal Lector. I am going to hunt you down and then I am going to bite out your throat.'

"He then spat at PC Johns and it landed on her arm. He was then further arrested for assaulting a police officer."

Steven George, defending, said his client was on his way to the waterfront and had drunk about two bottles of wine as well as taking medication for diabetes and to help him sleep.

"Coupled with alcohol the wine made him behave in a way that he would not normally do," Mr George said.

"He has very limited recollection what occurred. He remembers someone calling him a tramp and someone bumping into him causing others to laugh and he remembers being angry.

"He does not remember making any comments attributed to him but accepts that Mr Kurgman and the police officer have no reason to lie.

"He is anxious to say that he is not a racist and is very ashamed of what he is meant to have said.

"He has a number of friends from ethnic minorities and he wishes me to pass on his apologies to Mr Kurgman for his behaviour."

Magistrates agreed to order pre-sentence reports before sentencing Scadding.

He was released on conditional bail and will be sentenced on September 30.