A man’s been charged with assault after breathing on police officers and mentioning coronavirus.
32-year-old Mathew Brown denies three charges of assault by beating after blowing in the faces of three officers following an arrest for breaching a restraining order, according to BBC News.
He admitted the breach, but faces a trial for the alleged police assaults at Swindon Crown Court in July.
Brown, of Ermin Street, was remanded in custody after Bristol Magistrates’ Court heard how he blew into the faces of PC Swanborough, PC Myers and PC Thompson in Gablecross Police Station’s custody suite and then told them he may have coronavirus.
Max Hill QC, Director of Public Prosecutions at the CPS, said: “Emergency workers are more essential than ever as society comes together to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
“I am therefore appalled by reports of police officers and other frontline workers being deliberately coughed at by people claiming to have Covid-19.
“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.”
