3 people jailed for coughing & spitting as police crack down on Coronavirus offenders

Police are warning people that anyone who uses coronavirus as a threat against officers or members of the public will face prison.

It comes after three men were jailed this week for coughing, spitting or threatening to infect people with Covid-19.

On Monday (6 April) a judge at Warwick Crown Court gave the clearest indication yet that such callous crimes will not be tolerated when he immediately jailed a teenager for six months.

Judge Andrew Lockhart QC told Thomas Wilson he should be “thoroughly ashamed" of himself after the 19-year-old threatened to spit in a female officer’s face as she detained him over an alleged road rage incident in Coventry.

On the same day, another man, Bevan Burke, was jailed after he spat at a shopkeeper who’d banned him from the store for shoplifting.

Burke stormed into Allen’s Croft Post Office, Northfield, and spat at the victim shouting “I have corona…you’re going to die" having been told he was barred following a previous shoplifting incident.

While being transported to police custody the 22-year-old began coughing and blowing towards officers and again said “I’ve got confirmed coronavirus and now you’ve got it. I hope you and your family die".

He was jailed for 42 weeks at Birmingham Crown Court having admitted assaulting emergency workers and the shop keeper, plus shoplifting at the convenience store on 10 January.

Meanwhile, a 54-year-old man was also given a prison sentence on Monday for spitting in the face of a West Midlands Police officer in Birmingham city centre.

Officers attended a petrol station in Corporation Street at 9.45pm on Saturday (4th April) following reports of a man causing problems, pouring fuel on the floor and obstructing traffic.

Anthony Evans tried kicking out at them and as they detained him and spat in an officer’s face.

He was jailed for 16 weeks at Birmingham Crown Court.