Call for tougher sentences after ‘coronavirus cough’ attacks

27 March 2020

West Midlands Police Federation chair Jon Nott says he is fully behind calls for tougher punishments to be introduced for those who ‘coronavirus cough’ in officers’ faces.
 
Incidents across the country in the past few days have seen police officers coughed or spat at with the threat or intent of passing on COVID-19 in the process.
 
This has led to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) threatening a charge of common assault for those who do it and the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has called for even more robust laws if the situation worsens.
 
In response to the attacks, Max Hill QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, said he was ‘appalled’ and stressed that anyone who threatens a key worker as they do their job will be prosecuted.
 
Jon said: “Coughing and spitting in someone’s face is an awfully degrading crime at the best of times. So, for this to be happening to officers during the coronavirus outbreak is almost beyond belief. Anyone who is found doing this should be brought to justice and feel the full weight of the law.
 
“Our officers are doing an amazing job trying to inform and protect the general public during what are unprecedented and dangerous times for us all.
 
“So, we should give them as much protection as we possibly can to try to deter people from attacking them in this way.”
 
PFEW chair John Apter also voiced his disgust.
 
He said: “Reports of a vile minority using the virus as a weapon against police officers trying to keep them safe beggars belief. Coughing and spitting, threatening to spread COVID-19 to my colleagues is a disgusting act and must not be tolerated on any level.
 
“I have raised this serious issue of people using the virus as a weapon or to cause fear with the Home Secretary this week – suggesting there must be emergency legislation put into place if we see an increase of these kind of incidents.”
 
Two men have already been prosecuted for such actions in incidents against the Metropolitan and Blackburn Police, respectively.
 
The national chair continued: “Yes, there are offences already available but they are generally minor and do not attract the level of seriousness they deserve. We need to see a strong response for those who assault our 999 colleagues in this way - those dedicated men and women who are putting their lives on the line during this crisis.
 
“Until then, I will keep pushing this as an issue because our emergency service workers deserve nothing less.”