A police constable spat on by a Whitehaven man said he would rather have been punched or kicked, a court was told.
Andrew Hall, 40, was heard shouting by officers who went to a town address on January 14.
They were originally called by Hall’s partner, who also lived there, because he was using a shovel to damage his own car.
Hall was still waving the shovel when officers arrived, Carlisle Crown Court heard, prompted them to initially retreat.
Other officers were called to assist. One of those called to help was a police constable, who saw Hall resisting colleagues while being taken to the floor.
Incapacitant spray had been used in a failed bid to subdue Hall, who was placed in a van. He got more violent, tried to stop a vehicle door being closed while officers tried to calm him down and banged his head on an interior cage.
Of an account provided by the PC, prosecutor Tim Evans said: “He describes him as having to support the defendant’s head to prevent it, or him, banging it on the vehicle floor.
“He was talking to the defendant, trying to calm him down; at which point the officer was the recipient of a spit directly into his face, which hit him on the cheek.”
In an impact statement, the officer described that as particularly unpleasant, vile and degrading. He was left feeling anxious, frustrated, disappointed and in fear of a transmittable disease.
“To me, personally, being spat on is the worst form of assault,” said the PC, who added that he would rather be struck physically — punched or kicked. “It upsets me that this has happened.”
Hall, of Brakeside Gardens, Whitehaven, admitted assaulting an emergency worker.
Defence lawyer Anthony Parkinson said the main mitigation was that guilty plea. Hall had some mental health issues but recognised he should have complied with the police officers.
Judge Michael Fanning imposed an immediate six-month jail term.
“Not everybody with mental health difficulties resorts to assaulting police officers or behaving aggressively. Even those with alcohol or substance misuse issues can generally control themselves,” said Judge Fanning.
“Police officers go to work generally expecting to help the public. One of the ways they have to help the public is arrest people. When most people are arrested they don’t kick off in the way that you did.”
