Man arrested for domestic abuse coughed at police saying he had coronavirus

The District Judge at Bristol Magistrates’ Court said the offences were ‘mean and unforgivable’ in light of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

A man has been jailed for coughing at two police officers after telling them he had coronavirus.

Richard Michael Lamb, 48, from Hartcliffe, hacked at the constables as they were booking him into custody following his arrest for attacking his partner. He also assaulted a third officer.

The District Judge at Bristol Magistrates’ Court said the offences were ‘mean and unforgivable’ in light of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: ‘Those who think it’s acceptable to assault officers during the course of their duty can expect to be sent to prison. He added that the officers were out ‘protecting the public’ and ‘should not be subjected to this disgusting and degrading behaviour’.

Lamb was jailed for a year on Friday.

He was sentenced for three counts of assaulting an emergency worker and two counts of assaulting his partner.

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Marcus Spiteri, 35, was jailed at the same court after telling a council worker he mistook to be Chinese to ‘go home’ and saying he had brought the virus into the country.

He was jailed for eight weeks at Bristol Magistrates’ Court for a racially aggravated public order offence and 21 weeks for actual bodily harm caused to a police officer.

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