Thug jailed after spitting at police officer and claiming he had coronavirus

Rory McGrail was arrested by police in Eastgate Square, in Chichester, on 9.30am on April 9 after failing to comply with the community requirements of a suspended sentence.

While being detained the 38-year-old, of Longley Road, spat at an officer and used racially abusive language towards another police officer.

McGrail appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court on May 12 and pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and to racially aggravated public disorder.

He was given a 14-week prison sentence for those charges, plus a 34-week sentence for an arson committed at a hostel in the city in March 2019, and a further four months for shoplifting offences in Chichester earlier this year.

Last year he was given a suspended sentence for the arson at the hostel.

Chief Inspector Jon Carter said: ‘This man deliberately sought to cause distress to our officers, working in the front line of emergency services to protect everyone in the local community and it is good to know that despicable offending of this type is taken seriously by the courts.’

Earlier this month a man from Portsmouth was jailed after coughing and spitting in the face of a police officer and claiming he had coronavirus.

Hampshire Police Federation chairman Alex Charge has previously hit out at the increase in spitting incidents as officers patrol the lockdown.

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