Yob who threatened to cough at Yorkshire police and told them he had coronavirus is jailed

A yob has been jailed after he told police he had coronavirus and threatened to cough and spit at them as he was being arrested.

Gary Stephen Stringer, 36, told cops he had tested positive for the deadly disease when they arrested him in the early hours of the morning.

He threatened to spit and cough at the officers who arrested him and repeated his threats at the police station while he was being interviewed.

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Stringer, of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to three charges of assaulting an emergency worker at York Magistrates Court.

The yob coughed and spat at police and told them he had coronavirusThe yob coughed and spat at police and told them he had coronavirus
The yob coughed and spat at police and told them he had coronavirus

Magistrates heard that Stringer was arrested in the early hours of Thursday, April 9.

As cops tried to detain him, Stringer stated he had been diagnosed with COVID-19 at Scarborough Hospital just days earlier and threatened to cough and spit at two of the officers.

When taken into custody at Scarborough police station, he continued to make threats towards another officer who was attempting to interview him and repeated that he had COVID-19.

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He was charged with three counts of assaulting an emergency worker and was sentenced to six months imprisonment.

The man was sent to prison for threatening to cough at policeThe man was sent to prison for threatening to cough at police
The man was sent to prison for threatening to cough at police

Speaking about the sentence, Inspector Graeme Kynman of North Yorkshire Police, said: “At a time of national emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic when the risk of infection remains high, to threaten or attempt to spit and cough at an officer who is trying to do his or her job is both shocking and appalling.

“Police will not tolerate this behaviour and anyone suspected of committing such a crime against a police officer, or any fellow emergency worker, can expect to face prosecution.”

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