Ashley Mathers, 39, also covertly live-streamed his hearing despite laws against this (Picture: SWNS)

A serial offender convicted of assaulting emergency workers interrupted his sentencing to call the magistrate a ‘mug’.

Ashley Mathers, 39, from Southend, Essex, also declared he needed to leave the ‘boring’ hearing for a ‘beer’ and covertly live-streamed it on Facebook, which is against the law.

At one point, he exclaimed: ‘I need to go back to bed.’

Mathers has reportedly racked up over 40 convictions since at least 2004, when he was jailed for two years for pelting police officers and firefighters with bricks and tiles from a roof after a drunken row with his girlfriend.

He found himself in court yet again after punching a paramedic and assaulting a police officer last year.

Returning to Southend Magistrates’ Court, Essex, this week to hear his sentence, he began broadcasting proceedings via his phone from the moment he entered.

The 39-year-old kept his phone in his hand and told court officials he had to because his pocket kept splitting open.

When challenged about his use of the device, he told the chief magistrate it had run out of battery.

Mathers is pictured here in 2004 when he was jailed over his rooftop siege (Picture: SWNS)

As she ordered him to pay £100 each to the emergency workers he attacked, he muttered ‘oh you mug’ before saying: ‘Don’t do that, they attacked me.’

Upon hearing he must also serve a 16-week suspended sentence, he added: ‘Oh great. Oh can I go now? This is boring. I can’t pay.

‘Can’t pay we’ll take it away, right? Can I go now? I need a beer. Get me out of here.’

He must also complete six months of alcohol treatment, a one-year mental health course and some rehabilitation activities, and was banned from contacting his brother for two years.

The law forbids taking photos and video from inside courts, though it’s not clear if Mathers faces further charges related to the filming.

A HM Courts and Tribunals Service spokesperson said: ‘Filming in a courtroom is a criminal offence. We have reported this matter to Facebook so they can remove the content.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Ashley Mathers, 39, also covertly live-streamed his hearing, which is against the law, and declared it ‘boring’.