Get tough on people wHO spit and cough on police
POLICE CHIEFS URGE BIG SENTENCES FOR ‘WEAPONISING’ COVID
NORTH Wales’ police commissioner is urging judges and magistrates to impose the toughest penalties on people who spit or cough in the faces of officers.
Arfon Jones was sickened after hearing of frontline police officers and other emergency workers being subjected to the “vile practice” by offenders claiming to be infected with coronavirus.
Mr Jones, a former police inspector, spoke out after hearing of a growing number of cases.
The issue has also been raised by First Minister Mark Drakeford who is “very concerned” about reports of police being assaulted, including being coughed and spat on.
Earlier this month a woman appeared before magistrates in Mold after spitting in the faces of two officers in Holywell.
The offence happened after the officers were called to deal with a disturbance involving a man and a woman at a kebab shop.
After the man was detained, the woman became aggressive and spat in their faces.
She received a 26-week prison sentence which was suspended for 12 months, a curfew for 26 weeks with electronic monitoring and ordered to pay £150 in compensation.
Mr Jones said: “Unfortunately, we have had a number of examples of people spitting or coughing in the faces of officers in North Wales.
“The sentence was criticised by the Police Federation for being unduly lenient and it is unfortunate the magistrates did not take the opportunity to send a message out.
“The Sentencing Council for
England and Wales, which produces guidelines on sentencing for the judiciary and criminal justice professionals, go by the seriousness of the offence and not by the evidence and there is nothing more serious than breaking the law to spread a deadly virus.
“This vile behaviour by a minority of offenders are putting these brave frontline staff at risk of contracting this awful virus, with potentially fatal consequences.” After hearing the punishment imposed on the woman in Holywell, Mark Jones, General Secretary of North Wales Police Federation, said: “I am absolutely appalled at this pathetic sentence. “Two police officers, carrying out their public duty have been disgustingly spat on, in their faces, by this vile person.
“My two colleagues have received no justice whatsoever and have been completely let down by the judiciary.
“Given the national crisis we are in with COVID-19; the dangerous and killer virus that it is, for the Courts to give a light slap on the wrist for this disgusting act is shameful.
“We seemed to be making some progress recently with tougher sentences being issued to those who weaponised COVID-19 but with taking one step forward we have now taken two steps back”.
Last week 19-year-old Kelsey Gouldie, from Holyhead, was jailed for six months for spitting at police while claiming she had coronavirus - see page 9.
Afterwards Mark Jones said: “We implore the government and judiciary to work on introducing sentences that actually act as a deterrent to would be offenders.”
THE Welsh Government says it will help councils that lose income due to coronavirus.
The pledge comes after Gwynedd council leader Dyfrig Siencyn warned some authorities faced being unable to set balanced budgets as the pandemic continued to wipe out public finances.
He told a meeting of the council’s cabinet Gwynedd faced a loss of income of between £5m and £16m, depending on the length of lockdown.
While authorities hope to receive Welsh Government funding to cover at least some of the additional costs incurred during the lockdown, there is no promise of similar cash to cover loss of income from services such as leisure centres, school meals, parking, consultancy and highways arrangements.
According to the Welsh Local Government Association, which estimates councils across the country face losing out on around £170m of previously budgeted-for income due to the lockdown, efforts are under way to lobby Welsh ministers to fund the gap on the balance sheets.
Meanwhile, a report presented to the Snowdonia National Park authority on Wednesday found a gap of up to £1.3m is being predicted in the park’s finances, the authority had lost out on £600,000 since the lockdown and some staff have been furloughed.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The coronavirus pandemic has come at a huge cost to public services and social care, with local government working very effectively on the front line. We have already provided local authorities with an extra £110m of funding, as well as bringing forward the revenue support grant earlier in the year so they don’t run out of cash. We agree with the WLGA that further help will need to be provided due to income lost and we will assist with that. In the longer run, it will have to be for the UK Government to assist as well.”