A MAN who hurled abuse at jurors when they convicted him of vicious attacks has been given a mandatory life sentence by a judge at Maidstone Crown Court.

But Michael Ring could be free after just over three years as that is the term a judge said he would have to serve before being considered for parole. He earned the life sentence because he had a previous conviction for wounding with intent.

The outburst, which left female jurors in tears, came at the end of April when he was convicted of wounding and assault charges.

It happened in the absence of Judge David Croft, QC, but the foul-mouth tirade was reported to him by the court clerk.

Ring, of Quarry Square, Maidstone, apologised through his lawyer when he appeared for sentence on Tuesday, saying it was a reoccurrence of panic attacks.

The court heard how Ring went berserk at the Royal George pub in Boxley Road, Maidstone, on September 20 last year after learning he was HIV positive.

He slashed his arms with a broken glass and stabbed another customer, John Stanley, with it. The terrified victim was forced to take tests and it was two months before he discovered that he had not been infected.

Ring later beat up Lisa Gilham, fracturing her eye socket, and also attacked David Gibbons.

Karen Holt, prosecuting, said Ring had been “spoiling for a fight”. After taking off his shirt, he smashed a pint glass on the counter and slashed at his arms. As he bled he shouted that he was HIV positive.

Mr Stanley, a butcher, told how Ring lunged at him with the broken glass. Mr Stanley picked up a chair to protect himself but Ring inflicted a deep cut to his right hand. He was later taken to hospital where five stitches were inserted.

In the early hours of the next day, Ring went to Miss Gilham’s home and had more to drink. Miss Gilham told Ring to leave after he shouted abuse at her son.

He punched her with such force that she was thrown across the room. He kicked her as she lay injured on the floor. As well as a fractured eye socket, her middle finger was broken. Mr Gibbons was struck on the head and nose as he tried to intervene.

Ring was convicted of wounding Mr Stanley with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, causing Miss Gilham grievous bodily harm with intent and assaulting Mr Gibbons causing him actual bodily harm.

He denied the charges but the jury took less than an hour to find him guilty. He admitted causing Miss Gilham actual bodily harm.

Ring was jailed for five years, later varied to four years, in June 1984 for slashing a man’s face from his ear to his mouth. The victim later died and Ring’s co-accused was convicted of manslaughter.

Dominic Webber, defending, told the judge: “His perception of the public view of his HIV positive status caused a degree of panic. It doesn’t excuse his behaviour. He has expressed remorse.”

Judge Croft told Ring that there could be no doubt that the attacks sprung from him being HIV positive.

“Even the sternest of moralists couldn’t blame you for the way you got it,” he said. “You, of course, have the sympathy of the court in respect of that matter.”

But he went on: “Your behaviour that night was intolerable. Your attack on Mr Stanley was totally motiveless. He had done absolutely nothing wrong.”

Miss Gilham, he said, had been left with the choice of risking painful surgery or the disability of her eyeball sinking.”

Judge Croft said Ring’s abuse of jurors must have been horrifying and frightening. “I do apologise for that,” said Ring.

The judge said it demonstrated that he was likely to be dangerous and harmful in extreme circumstances, adding: “You are, in my view, a risk to the public.”

If he had passed a determinate sentence, he said, it would have been eight years.