Dad-to-be with Covid spat at police after drink drive car crash

AMAN who spat and coughed at police officers admitted to having coronavirus after they stopped him when he crashed into a parked car.

Ben Hodkinson, 27, tried offering the owner of the car £2,000 before the police arrived - then tried to make a run for it.

After he was caught up with by the police, he told them he was a ‘MMA fighter’ and began acting aggressively, Manchester Magistrates Court was told.

Hodkinson, of Rochdale, then told the officers he had coronavirus and had been in self isolation for seven days.

He then started coughing and spitting at them.

Officers had to wear spit hoods as they arrested him, in Middleton, and when they took him into the police station for questioning he refused to provide a sample of blood for an alcohol test.

Pleading guilty to common assault of an emergency worker, contravening lockdown rules and failing to provide a specimen, Hodkinson was sentenced to four months imprisonment suspended for 18 months.

Prosecuting David Morgan told the court that on February 4 this year, Hodkinson was involved in a collision on Kirkstall Road with a parked car.

“The owner came out of his address to see what happened,” Mr Morgan said. “The police were duly called out to assess the situation, and in doing so, the defendant ran off and was followed by the police.

“The defendant offered the owner of the parked vehicle £2,000 and gave a comment about being an MMA fighter.

“He was inebriated until the police attended and then he was aggressive towards them.

“He told them he had coronavirus and had been self isolating for seven days.

“He then began to cough at the officers and spit towards them.

“He was placed in the back of the police van and continued to be abusive.

“The spit hoods were applied as had been making threats.

“As they thought he was inebriated, they thought it was not worth taking off the spit hoods because they could expose themselves to infection.

“They did try to conduct a breath test, but they were concerned that he would bite them, so they decided to take a sample of blood, but he refused to do so.”

Hodkinson was said to have previous convictions including aggravated taking without an owner’s consent in 2010 and a public order offence in 2011.

In mitigation, his defence lawyer Nmandi Inegbu said: “There were full and frank admissions from the outset.

“He accepts full responsibility, he knows what he did was irresponsible and dangerous in the circumstances.

“He has been out of trouble for some time and this was out of character for him.

“He has been to see his GP to get some help with his mental health issues, and he was prescribed medication but the dosage wasn’t high enough.

“With the medication and alcohol together, he said this is unfortunately what led to this episode.

“On the day in question, he had an argument with his partner, they split up, and he was making his way to his mum’s and that’s when the accident occurred, the police were called and the comment was made. He had drank four beers.

“He tells me his recollection is not nil, he only remembers when he was in the police station and he was told what he was being charged with.

“He tells me his son was in hospital for treatment and his auntie had died and that affected him.

“He had his own gardening business and was running that successfully, but following problems with his young son and the death of his auntie, he lost his business and it hit him severely.

“He has now sought help at Turning Point and he has been referred by a GP to a psychiatrist.

“He is now back together with his girlfriend and she is pregnant - he is now getting help and support.”

When asked if he had anything to say, Hodkinson said: “I’m absolutely disgusted at what I’ve done.

“I’ve not just ruined my life, but the police officers, my kids and my partner too. I have reached out to get myself some help and I feel a bit better. I’m just disgusted, it’s affected my family as well - sorry.”

Manchester JPs sentenced Hodkinson, of Kenworthy Terrace, to four months imprisonment suspended for 18 months, 100 hours unpaid work and he was ordered to pay £400 compensation to the officer.

He was also placed on an electronically monitored curfew for two months stating he must stay indoors from 8pm to 7am.