An Afghan asylum seeker who slapped a nurse - and punched two police officers as they all tried to help him - has been spared jail by a judge.

Kefeyat Zakhail, aged 22 years, struck the nurse as she was attempting to provide care to him in hospital, shortly after assaulting a police officer who was assisting him.

Prosecutor Lucy McGarr told a court that two police officers - PC Luke Barnes and another officer received a call from staff at Newbury railway station informing them that a man had jumped onto the tracks but had been removed and was now outside the station with blood on his clothing.

She said: "PC Barnes was asking the defendant if he was okay and after asking him a few times Zakhail punched him to the back of his right  shoulder."

The judge heard that the defendant delivered a harder punch to the same location a few minutes later.

After being taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Zakhail slapped a nurse - Tracey Atarinejad - who was treating him.

Ms McGarr said: "She was tending to him and was speaking to him whilst she was checking his medical health and, unprovoked as she turned around to continue the conversation with the defendant,  he slapped her on the left side of her face."

The final assault was on Pc Craig Turney, an interviewing officer. The judge at Reading Crown Court heard that Zakhail, whose address was given  as Pangbourne, Berks., started punching the officer with "no provocation or reason."

Jyoti Wood, defence counsel for Zakhail, said he was under a lot of stress as he is going through the asylum system as an Afghan asylum seeker.

She added that the events were out of character and pointed out that he had admitted the offences at the first opportunity

The court heard that he was very distressed about this episode, about himself and the effect of the matters on his asylum application.

Judge Kirsty Real told him: "The police were trying to help you that day by taking you to the hospital. You punched one officer whilst being transported there.

"You slapped a nurse at the hospital who was helping to translate for you and when you went back to the police station and police were interviewing you started to punch the interviewing officer.

"There is no evidence of any injury or any evidence about the distress you caused.

"You are of previous good character and have no police record and I'm told you were in a state of distress at the time rather than suffering from mental health conditions.

"Therefore, I am persuaded that I am able to sentence you without any further report on your health."

Zakhail, who appeared from custody, was fined £50 with a default term of seven days imprisonment for assaulting the nurse. However, the judge concluded that he had already served this time due to time spent  on remand in custody - which was nearly 12 weeks.

For the two other incidences of assault by beating an emergency worker, no separate penalties were issued.