Lance King, age 30, of no fixed living address, was sentenced to 12 months in prison on Wednesday 8th April, 2020, after pleading guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and other criminal damage. He was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital on Monday where he deliberately coughed and spat at two nurses just after 1:30pm, Staffordshire Police said.
He also urinated on the floor of his hospital ward and scribbled on himself and hospital property with a pen from the nurses’ desk, the police added.
Staffordshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Simon Tweats said: “We investigated a number of incidents over the weekend and on the whole people complied with government guidelines.
“However, as these cases demonstrate we will take enforcement action when required and put people before the courts. It is simply unacceptable for workers who are in the frontline serving the public to be spat at or threatened.
“We want to work with the public to stop the spread of Covid-19.
“With Easter weekend approaching and the temptation to get out and about the message to the public remains clear: please stay at home and follow the guidelines. We don’t want to make arrests but we will do so if required.
“I want to be clear and open about the steps we are taking to protect the public, but I also want to thank the majority of people who stayed at home last weekend in Staffordshire.”
