A frustrated Llandysul man wrote his name on cell walls in his own blood, a court has heard.

Patrick Sion Evans, aged 20, of Tanrhos, Pencader Road, pleaded guilty to criminal damage when he appeared before Aberystwyth magistrates on Wednesday afternoon.

The court heard that Evans was arrested for an unrelated matter on June 14, and was being kept in a cell at Aberystwyth police station pending an interview.

Vaughan Pritchard-Jones, prosecuting, said: “For some reason, best known to himself, he had a small cut which he made bigger until it started to bleed, and sprayed blood on the mattress and daubed his name along the wall.”

It cost £145 for professional cleaners to decontaminate the cell.

Stephen Welch, defending, told the court that no further action was taken against his client for the matter relating to his original arrest.

He said: “He cut himself quite severely. When he was taken to hospital by the police he needed three stitches.

“He was put in the cell at about 4.30am and asked to go to hospital with his cut. He felt he was not being taken seriously and got quite worked up about it. He did it out of frustration and annoyance. He felt it was necessary to get attention.”

Mr Welch added: “There was no way he was going to get away with it because he wrote his name on the wall. He did not intend to cause damage, and didn’t realise it was an offence.”

Evans was fined £75 and ordered to pay £75 compensation, plus £85 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.