A dirty protester said he’d smeared poo on a police cell camera in order to get officers’ attention.

James Porter, 34, told Swindon Magistrates’ Court he was unhappy after being arrested on suspicion of a £50,000 blackmail. The charges against Porter, who spent eight weeks on remand, were later dropped, he said.

The court was told he had used vile racist language – including shouting “I hate black people” – and smeared faeces on his cell camera while being held at Melksham police station on June 8 last year. Police spent £45 getting the cell professionally cleaned. 

Representing himself, Porter said there had been a “very complex build-up” to the dirty protest. 

He had been arrested on suspicion of blackmail but claimed police “weren’t interest” in information on his phone he said would prove his innocence.

The defendant said he had “lost his mind” and made the racist comments and had smeared poo over the camera in an attempt to attract the attention of a senior officer. He admitted there was no excuse for his language.

Porter, of Littleton, near Semington, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated disorderly behaviour, criminal damage and possession of cannabis. 

Fining him £150 and ordering he pay £45 compensation to the police, District

Judge Joanna Dickens said: “Racially aggravated remarks are outrageous. They are horrendous and they are absolutely not acceptable whatever the circumstances. There wasn’t just one racial remark here, bad though that would have been.”

She added: “It’s outrageous and it’s not acceptable and I don’t care what your reason for it [was] you had no proper reason for it and it shouldn’t have happened. Even now you’ve said you shouldn’t have done it, you haven’t shown a great deal or remorse.”