New Year's Eve ended in violent confrontation for some revellers in Abingdon when a local man took his anger out on cars, property and people after being barred from a riverside pub.

A court heard on Thursday that teenager Craig Monaghan stood in the road and stopped two cars crossing Abingdon Bridge, using his bare fist to smash the windscreens of both vehicles -- both of them driven by young women who were left petrified.

Monaghan, 18, of Gainsborough Green, Abingdon, had also smashed a window at the Broad Face pub in nearby Bridge Street minutes earlier, Wantage magistrates were told.

Later, after being arrested and repeatedly pressing the buzzer in his cell at the Marcham Road police station, he punched civilian custody assistant David Cannon in the nose after being refused a cigarette.

Two weeks later, prosecutor Helen Waite told the bench, police were called to the home Monaghan shared with his girlfriend following reports of a domestic argument and found him in the street, with a bandaged hand and acting in a threatening and abusive manner.

One officer, PC Philip Hampton, tried to arrest him and was punched on the side of his jaw.

Ms Waite said that after his second arrest within 14 days, Monaghan, who was still on police bail following the New Year incidents, was put straight into the cells. Monaghan pleaded guilty to assaulting Pc Hampton and Mr Cannon, and to three charges of criminal damage to the cars and the pub window.

The bench heard he had a long list of previous convictions going back to a youth court appearance in August 2000 for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and shoplifting, and had later served a year's sentence of youth custody imposed by Oxford Crown Court, for assault and theft.

Defending, Julia Moffatt, reserved full comment on the incidents, simply saying Monaghan insisted he had not punched Pc Hampton in the later confrontation but had used an open hand to push him away.

The case was adjourned until March 4 for reports, and Monaghan given unconditional bail.