Man rammed SA cop shop to escape 'devil'

The Devil's inside the car but the cops will help me out, Jarrad Davis thought as he smashed through the automated glass doors of Adelaide Police Station.

Davis then reversed into a police car and threatened two plain-clothes officers with a knife before he was hit with capsicum spray and arrested.

He was having a drug-induced "psychotic episode" at the time of the late-night rampage in Adelaide's CBD in August 2016.

The 39-year-old was on Friday jailed for at least one year over the incident, in which he also assaulted a paramedic on the way to hospital.

Magistrate Maria Panagiotidis said Davis hoped the police would help keep him safe from the dangers he saw in his mind.

"You believed the Devil was in your car and that there were cables coming out from your car and attached to your legs," she said.

"You believed the police could help you. You were seeking to be rescued."

Davis, who suffers type 1 diabetes, pleaded guilty to several charges including property damage, aggravated assault and endangering life.

The West Australian was addicted to heroin and methamphetamines at the time but this did not excuse his actions, Ms Panagiotidis said.

"The assault of police and paramedics, who work to serve the community, is very serious," she said.

She implored Davis, who has a lengthy criminal history, to stay away from drugs or be doomed to reoffend.

The magistrate imposed a 17-month prison term with a non-parole period of 12 months.