A pest who badgered female train passengers told a Good Samaritan who shielded one: "I am going to stamp all over your face."

Details of 31-year-old Gary Walsh's bad behaviour, on a journey between Carlisle and West Cumbria, emerged during a hearing at the city's crown court.

Walsh was sentenced by a judge having admitted a public order offence, committed on October 31. This put him in breach of a suspended jail term he had been handed for a past crime.

Claire Brocklebank, prosecuting, said Walsh began terrorising women at Carlisle railway station, approaching one woman and trying to engage her in conversation.

Convinced he was drunk, she ignored him and made it clear she was not interested,

Walsh then turned his attention to another woman on the train.

"He was asking her to go for a drink with him and stroking her hair, which caused her some alarm," said Miss Brocklebank.

The female asked a man to sit next to her in a bid to deter Walsh.

When that man asked Walsh to leave her alone, he responded: "Do you know who I am? You are disrespecting me. Do you want to fight?"

The man ignored him and Walsh appeared to calm down, before then announcing: "I am going to sit on this train until you get off and stamp all over your face."

The court hear passengers had been "annoyed" by Walsh's behaviour, while the man was left "scared and worried" that he would make good his violent threats.

Police were called and Walsh, who had more than 80 previous convictions, was arrested.

"The defendant initially couldn't remember the incident," said Miss Brocklebank.

"When he was confronted with the evidence he accepted that people would have felt alarmed by his behaviour."

Jack Troup, mitigating, said Walsh claimed his drink had been spiked by friends before getting on the train.

"He tells me he hasn't spoken to them since and has cut these so-called friends completely out of his life," said Mr Troup.

Walsh had mental health problems which had been diagnosed and were under treatment. He had sought to turn his life around and obtained work.

As a result, Recorder Michael Smith suspended a 14-week jail term for 18 months.

Walsh, of Road End View, Dearham, must complete 200 hours' unpaid work and a rehabilitation requirement.

But Recorder Smith said Walsh had been guilty of "utterly disgraceful behaviour".