Morning spitter jailed by afternoon

A 33-year-old New Plymouth man has been jailed hours after spitting at police during a callout to a Taranaki address.

Daniel Ngaiwi Rawiri appeared in the New Plymouth District Court on Thursday charged with aggravated assault.

The spitting incident occurred on Thursday morning, when Rawiri was found by police near several private properties he had visited beforehand.

While police were dealing with Rawiri he became aggressive and spat at them, a police spokesman said.

As a result of the incident Rawiri was charged with aggravated assault on police.

He pleaded guilty at court and was sentenced to three months in prison.

‘‘Abhorrent behaviour such as spitting puts our police staff at risk, and understandably causes stress and angst,’’ the media statement said.

‘‘In the current environment we have identified spitting as an escalating risk to both police officers and the community and it will not be tolerated.

‘‘While we have a range of measures in place to protect our people, given the frontline nature of police work there are risks.’’

If someone spits or coughs on another person, and infects them they risk being charged with infecting with disease under the Crimes Act and face a penalty of 14 years in prison should they be found guilty, the police statement said.

On Monday Christchurch man Raymond Gary Coombes, 38, pleaded guilty to offensive behaviour after he was arrested for filming himself coughing and sneezing on shoppers in a supermarket.

He has been remanded on bail for sentencing on May 19. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described Coombes ‘‘an idiot.’’