A man fought with police after a blazing row at the Town hall, a court heard.

Kristoffer Groot has his finances managed by Cheshire East Council after getting into debt, magistrates were told.

But when the 33-year-old visited Macclesfield Town Hall he was refused an advance on his money and 'lost the plot', prosecutors said.

Fearing 'angry and hysterical' Groot would assault a council worker the police were called, the court heard.

Groot then grappled with police officers and hit one in the face, causing a cut below his eye, magistrates were told.

Groot, of Weller Close, Poynton, pleaded guilty to a public order offence and assaulting a constable in execution of their duty at a hearing at Macclesfield Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (September 18).

He was given a six-week curfew from 7pm to 7am every day, and told to pay £200 compensation to one of the officers.

The court heard the council had become an appointee of Groot and managed his money after he had got into financial difficulties five years ago.

Groot had gone to the town hall on Tuesday, August 26, to pick up £50 – one of two weekly payments it made to him.

But after a finance worker refused to give Groot that Friday’s payment early, the hearing was told he became angry.

Debbie Byrne, prosecuting, said: “He was agitated.

“She told him repeatedly that she could not give him the money. Groot became angry and hysterical. He ripped a piece of paper that she was holding and she was in fear of being assaulted.

“An eyewitness said that Groot ‘lost the plot’, shouting ‘I’m not leaving without my money’.

His face was described as ‘being contorted in anger’.”

When two police officers arrived to calm the situation down, Groot refused to back down, and eventually the officers were forced to try and make Groot leave by force.

Ms Byrne continued:  “He refused to leave, saying ‘you’ll have to carry me out’.

“One of the officers tried to get his arms behind his back, and another placed him in a head lock. They all ended up on the floor.

“While on the floor one officer felt a blow to his face, and when he got up he had a cut to his lower left eye.

“He said he did not know where the blow came from. The defendant accepts that his behaviour was unacceptable and said he was responsible for the injury to the officer.”

Hannah Kelly, defending Groot, said that he had not intentionally tried to hurt the officer.

She said: “It was unintentional.

“He got himself into quite a mess financially when he was 28.

“His money gets paid to the council which allocate it to rent and other expenditure then give him two payments a week.

“For the last four months they have been giving him a full week’s worth of money and on this day they have not continued with this informal arrangement.

“He accepts his behaviour was wholly unacceptable and he agrees he lost the plot.

“When the police approached him they did not appear to be understanding and he took exception to that.

“He is remorseful about what happened.”