A man who spat at a police officer has been sentenced to 56 days in prison.
Scott Graham, 32, of Town View, Kendal appeared at Barrow Magistrates Court, on 27 April 2020 and admitted offences of assaulting an emergency worker by spitting and a public order offence.
The court heard how, on 24 April 2020, Graham called the police and made threats to attack police officers and stab them.
Officers located Graham in the vicinity of Town View Fields Hostel in Kendal. He told officers he had a knife on him and refused to comply with instructions.
Graham was eventually detained but deliberately spat at one of the officers – the spit landing on the officer’s leg.
In his police interview, Graham said he could not recall his actions due to the alcohol he had consumed. After being shown body camera footage, he apologised for his actions.
Sergeant Paul Holmes said: “Nobody should have to face being spat at as they go about their work but, in the current climate, spitting at a police officer, or any other emergency worker, is particularly egregious.
“Anyone who assaults an officer in this way is potentially putting the officer’s health at serious risk. Their actions will also likely result in the officers having to be withdrawn from their duties whilst testing is carried out to ensure they haven’t caught coronavirus as a result of being spat at.
“The courts are taking such behaviour extremely seriously, resulting in a prison sentence for this defendant.”
