Police commissioner hits out at coronavirus coughers and spitters

The police and crime commissioner, who will now serve an extra year in the top job, made the warning after two men were jailed for more than three months for spitting at custody officers.

He told the said: “Where people are taken to court, as someone behaving in that way should be, the chief constable and I will be putting in statements to the court calling for the full weight of penalty to be imposed on those individuals.

“This is a national crisis. Everyone – everyone – should be taking responsibility for their behaviour and not coughing over our emergency workers or even pretending to cough over our emergency workers. I would look for the prosecutors and justices to come down very heavily on anyone who’s brought before the courts.

“I’ll be saying that in victim impact statements over the coming months.”

Angus Macpherson Picture: CALYX

Director of public prosecutions Max Hill QC, who runs the Crown Prosecution Service, has said so-called “coronavirus coughers” will be charged with assault.

He said: “Let me be very clear: this is a crime and needs to stop. The CPS stands behind emergency and essential workers and will not hesitate to prosecute anybody who threatens them as they go about their vital duties.”

Last week, Peter Cooper, 36, was jailed for 13 weeks for spitting at a custody officer in Melksham police station.

Four days later, Osman Barry was sentenced to three months imprisonment by Judge Peter Crabtree for spitting in the face of a custody sergeant at the same police station. The judge labelled the 25-year-old’s actions dangerous.

The officers in both cases had had to self-isolate. Barry’s victim suffered from chronic asthma and was at greater risk from coronavirus.

Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said: “This behaviour is absolutely disgusting at any time, but given the current situation when everyone’s anxieties are heightened, it is despicable.”

Swindon’s resident judge Peter Crabtree last week warned that anyone with suspected coronavirus caught spitting at police would be dealt with at the crown court.

Peter Cooper

Judge Crabtree, sitting as a district judge at the magistrates’ court, said: “If you cough at an officer in a confined environment and indicate to an officer you might have coronavirus either directly or indirectly that’s exceptionally serious in my view.”

He added: “Anyone who’s spitting will go to the crown court.”

John Apter, chairman of the national Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, condemned the coughers.

“These are the sort of vile, disgusting individuals that my colleagues have to deal with on a daily basis,” he said.

Osman Barry

“Why this is different, is this virus is so contagious and so deadly and there is a real sense of fear out there. Those who weaponise this virus are the lowest form of life – they deserve every day they spend in prison.

“We’re seeing these individuals continuing to abuse and spit and cough at not only my colleagues but paramedics, nurses and others – its disgusting and they need to be made an example of.”

In light of the assaults they face, police representatives have been keen to get hold of personal protective equipment to minimise the risks from coronavirus.

On Thursday, Wiltshire Police Federation chairman Insp Mark Andrews praised the efforts of force managers in getting hold of the kit but feared the county was running low on stock. He accused the government of treating officers like collateral damage.

That was followed by a statement from the chief constable, saying Wiltshire had in the last 24 hours received a fresh batch of PPE meaning every officer, PCSO, special constable and local crime investigator would be given personal issue kit.

Police and crime commissioner Mr Macpherson said he had raised concerns about PPE with the government’s policing minister Kit Malthouse.

“The biggest asset in policing is its people and we want to protect them,” he said.

“Others will make the decision whether we get it against care homes or people working in the ambulance service, but we have absolutely got those orders in.

“We have no control over the supply of PPE. We can only ask what we need for our staff, which we have done consistently.”

The commissioner said Mr Malthouse had taken note of concerns raised by him and other PCCs.

He added: “There is a priority in life always. Life is about priorities and someone is prioritising the health service over the police. Is that right? I think it probably is.

“Priority must be to produce more of these things.

“The government has taken that on board now and we’ve seen so many small businesses getting on and saying ‘I can make masks or I can make this’. That will release pressure on the system.”

Police patrol Westbury White Horse over the weekend Picture: TREVOR PORTER

Wiltshire Police has benefitted from donations of hand sanitiser from county schools and businesses.

Among them was Ramsbury Distillery, which turned its gin and vodka production line to making the anti-bacterial liquid.

Sales director Mat Olsson said Ramsbury was donating bottles of the hand sanitiser as they had the chance to “get our sanitiser to those who need it most”.