A Carlisle woman claiming to have COVID-19 who spat at and physically assaulted police officers, has pleaded guilty.
Kathleen Knaggs, of Borland Avenue, Carlisle, appeared at Carlisle Magistrates Court yesterday (28 April).
The 27-year-old was involved in an incident on 24th April 2020 when police were called following a report of a three-vehicle road traffic collision on Borland Avenue.
After receiving a description from a member of the public and vehicle checks, Knaggs was located near to the scene and identified as one of the drivers involved in the collision.
Knaggs spat blood at two officers and physically assaulted one before claiming to have COVID-19 and HIV.
She was also asked to provide a breath sample which she refused to do numerous times, after officers suspected that she had been drinking and she had to be restrained due to her increasingly abusive and aggressive behaviour.
Knaggs pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a police officer and failure to provide a breath specimen and will appear at Carlisle Crown Court on the 27th May for sentencing.
She has been remanded to prison until that time.
Acting Detective Inspector Simon Gray said: “Unfortunately emergency workers continue to be attacked on a regular basis. Incidents of spitting or coughing and claiming to have Covid-19 cause a great deal of distress for the victims of this horrendous behaviour.
“I would like to remind the public that assaults on emergency workers will not be tolerated and anyone doing so will be detained and put before a court.”
