Butcher smoked 200 cheap cigarettes then spat in West Yorkshire Police officer's face during lockdown

A court heard how John Morris lunged forward and spat at the officer as he was being put in the back of a police van in Wakefield.

Leeds Crown Court heard the spit hit the officer in the face and some of it went into his mouth, causing him to fear he may have been infected with coronavirus.

The attack happened on April 10 this year when the officers were called to an incident at Marsh Way House, close to the city centre.

Gareth Henderson-Moore, prosecuting, said Morris was wanted in connection with an unrelated matter and was arrested.

He was led away from the property but lunged and spat towards one of the officers as he was being placed in a cage in the back of the police van.

The incident was captured on a police born-worn camera.

The 37-year-old was questioned by officers but showed no remorse for his actions.

He told them: "Well you have got it all on video so obviously I am guilty."

Morris, of Clarendon Street, Wakefield, pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker.

He has 44 previous convictions including assaulting a police officer, criminal damage and breaching court orders.

The prosecutor said the offence was aggravated by the fact that it took place during the Covid-19 lockdown and because Morris has previous convictions for assaulting police.

Andrew Stranex, mitigating, said Morris had not intentionally aimed the spit at the officer but it had struck him by accident.

He said his client needed to spit as he had been smoking cheap cigarettes and wanted to get the taste out of his mouth.

Mr Stranex said Morris was a highly skilled butcher who had found work and had been making efforts to stop offending at the time of the incident.

Morris was jailed for six months.

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar said: "Until the police officer was subjected to testing he would have been absolutely worried sick as to whether he had contracted that infection."

Morris, who appeared in court via a video link from prison, continued to deny deliberately spitting at the officer as he was given the prison sentence.

He said: "I had been smoking 200 cigarettes which I bought for £3.50 at the shops."