A man who coughed on officers claiming to have Coronavirus has been jailed.
Luke Smith, 27, from West Mersea, was arrested after being found in possession of cannabis. Upon his arrest, he began to cough on two officers, claiming he had coronavirus. The officers took the appropriate precautions in line with force and national guidance.
During his interview, he admitted that he said this because he thought officers would release him from custody.
Mr Smith was jailed for a total of 16 months at Chelmsford Crown Court this week.
DS Matthew Alexander said “Covid-19 has caused a lot of harm and families have lost loved ones. For it to be used as a weapon and a threat towards police officers is deplorable.
“Threats such as these will not deter us, the officers involved have since continued to help protect those who live, work or visit Essex.
“We will take swift action against anyone looking to assault our officers whilst they work to protect our communities and maintain a visible police presence”.
