Man spat at police and lied about coronavirus after 'getting stressed'

A man who spat at police and lied about having Covid-19 blamed stress for his behaviour.

Karan Singh, 23, of Homestead Way, Croydon was jailed at Croydon Crown Court after admitting three counts of assault on an emergency worker, use of threatening or abusive words or behaviour, and possession of cannabis.

He was sentenced to four months in prison, with another four months to run consecutively for breaching a previous suspended sentence.

Met Police said officers saw Singh in a car on a driveway in Lower Addiscombe Road in March despite being disqualified from driving.

When they began speaking to him, they noticed a strong smell of cannabis, and as they prepared to start searching the car he made a bungled attempt to drive off, stalling the engine. Ten bags of cannabis were found in the car.

In custody, Singh hurled abuse at interviewing officers, and struggled with three of them as they tried to take him back to his cell. He spat in their faces, telling them that he had Covid-19.

Later, he said that he did it because he had been waiting for hours and "got stressed out".

Singh admitted that he had lied about having the virus, and apologised to the officers, one of whom had to go to hospital for checks.