Man admits spitting at police officer who later became ill with Covid-19
A man has admitted spitting at a police officer who was subsequently diagnosed with Covid-19 just a few days later.
Steven Licorish, 41 and of no fixed abode, appeared at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (February 23) and pleaded guilty to assault of an emergency worker and being drunk and disorderly in a public place. He will be sentenced next month.
In early January, Dorset Police officers received a report that Licorish was found by a member of the public lying in the middle of Charminster Road in Bournemouth. Two police officers attended and discovered Licorish staggering around in the middle of the road and preventing traffic from moving. They moved Licorish onto the pavement and he began to shout and swear at them. He was arrested for being drunk and disorderly in a public place.
During the arrest Licorish looked directly at one of the male officers and intentionally spat with force, causing a large amount of saliva to land on the officer’s uniform. He was further arrested for assault on an emergency worker.
Two days later the officer developed Covid-19 symptoms and subsequently tested positive for the virus. It is not known whether the officer caught the infection as a result of the assault. He suffered from a constant searing headache, muscle pains, chronic fatigue and loss of appetite. He began to improve after 15 days, but remained short of breath.
Speaking after the hearing the officer said: “I will never know or be able to prove that I contracted Covid-19 from this incident. However, I am extremely angry and upset that he spat at me, exposing me to the risk of infection. Thankfully my family was not infected.
“It took many weeks for me to recover, but thankfully I have now returned to frontline duties. It is totally unacceptable to spit at someone, but to do so in the midst of a global pandemic is deplorable.”
Chief Constable James Vaughan said: “Our officers and staff demonstrate commitment, courage and dedication on a daily basis. They signed up to help protect the public, not to come into work each day with the risk of being assaulted, attacked or verbally abused. Spitting at officers is particularly abhorrent during the public health emergency we are all facing. While the officers’ infection could not be directly linked to what happened, it puts into perspective the dangerous nature of policing.
“The impact such assaults can have on our officers and staff, their colleagues and their families can have serious consequences and we will do all we can to bring criminal proceedings against those responsible.”
Anna Harvey, chair of Dorset Police Federation, said: “I am pleased to see that the defendant in this case has pleaded guilty. This incident is a stark reminder of the horrendous incidents officers have to deal with. Spitting is disgusting and, added with the current Covid-19 pandemic, this has caused the officer additional trauma. These incidents affect not only the individual, but their families and loved ones.”
