40-year-old David Mott has been jailed for 26 weeks after he spat and coughed at a police officer and threatened to infect her with coronavirus.

David coughed at police sergeant Linda Haywood as she told him he was breaking social distance rules.

“The utter contempt he showed toward me both as a police officer and a fellow human being disgusts me,” sergeant Haywood said. “We as police officers are here to protect the public and should not be exposed to unnecessary risks in doing so by mindless acts such as Mr Mott displayed.”

David was with two other people when police challenged him.

The 40-year-old admitted possessing an offensive weapon and cannabis and using threatening behavior at Blackburn Magistrates Court.

“He said he wasn’t moving away and if she tried to do anythaing he would just cough and spit at her,” prosecutor Peter Bardsley said.

“He then proceeded to do just that and she was forced to pepper-spray him. She then pushed him away.

“He was clearly aware that Covid-19 was transmitted by coughing and spitting and put the officer in fear for her personal safety.”

The Crown Prosecution Service warned that it would prosecute those who coughs on healthcare workers and emergency services as coronavirus continues to sweep the world.

Another man, 45-year-old Darren Rafferty, has also admitted coughing on police and faces sentencing in April.

One internet user commented: “That is no sentence to deter others from doing it, that is the problem soft sentences do not deter idiots like him.”

Another wrote: “Wow how rude and disrespectful he deserve jail time.”

A third added: “Should have been tried of attempted murder and got the sentence to match.”

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