A NAKED man smothered himself with hair removal cream in front of shocked onlookers because he wanted to go to prison, a court heard.
Homeless Malcolm King, aged 57, told a judge he would rather sleep in a bed in a cell than on the streets.
King, who has a history of appearing naked in public, has a history of mental illness and heavy drinking.
He spent several minutes standing nude at St Andrew's Cross covered in hair removal cream – and then told police he was freezing.
Representing himself at Plymouth Crown Court, he said: "I am better off in prison with three meals a day and a bed to sleep in rather than a stone floor.
"I have a television set and people to talk to."
Sending him to jail for six months, Judge Paul Darlow said: "This is something you have done on at least four previous occasions.
"Whatever your grievance, upsetting people who are simply there minding their own business is not the way to go about it."
King admitted outraging public decency by behaving in an indecent manner on August 5.
Nigel Hall, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said onlookers called police to report that King was standing naked at St Andrew's Cross roundabout at 9.45pm.
He said CCTV showed there were many people in the area, as well as passing cars and buses.
Mr Hall said the police were still receiving calls at 9.53pm.
He added that when police arrived minutes later, King complained that he was freezing.
King told the court he had been promised a place in a hostel and said he was angry that he had not been offered a bed after several meetings with probation officers.
He said with a raised voice: "I am very, very angry."
King was jailed for 16 months last year for walking naked into a fast food restaurant and then a nightclub, a court heard.
He drunkenly strode into McDonald's wearing nothing but a blond wig, pink gloves and sandals in April 2013.
Weeks later he left a bar late at night in May that year and returned 20 minutes later with no clothes on.
Staff at the Live Lounge asked him to leave but he refused to go because it was cold outside.
King was released last year having spent months in custody on remand.
But days later he was spotted striding through Exeter city centre wearing nothing but a pink suspender belt and an Alice band.
He also exposed himself to motorists at the busy Penn Inn roundabout at Newton Abbot in January this year.
This time he was wearing only jewellery and chocolate body paint – not enough to stop him complaining to drivers that he was freezing.
The latest offence was committed within three days of his release from prison for that offence.
King has previously told a court that he only started offending at the age of 54.