Yob jailed after spitting in the face of a police officer
A man who spat in the face of a police officer at the height of the Covid pandemic has been jailed.
Gianni Quinn, 26, of Store Terrace, Easington Lane, is starting 16 weeks behind bars for an attack described by a judge as “particularly disgusting, particularly abhorrent”.
He attacked the officer after first being dragged to the ground when he fought against arrest in Store Terrace on Thursday, April 2.
After being handcuffed, pulled to his feet and walked to an awaiting van, Quinn spat directly at the Pc, a court heard.
The incident led the officer to fear for his well-being at the hands of someone he said had “little regard for his own health”.
Sentencing Quinn, District Judge Kathryn Meek said: “Spitting in the face of anyone is disgusting, it’s abhorrent.
“Spitting in the face of a policeman during a pandemic which is airborne and a virus, was particularly disgusting, particularly abhorrent, and not to be tolerated.
“This offence is so serious that it has to be an immediate sentence.”
Prosecutor Grace Taylor told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court: “He was unsteady on his feet and appeared drunk and was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.
“He became aggressive with the officers, who were forced to take him to the ground to place him in handcuffs.
“When he was brought to his feet and taken to the back of the van, he spat directly in the face of the officer. The spittle hit him in the face.
“A spit hood was put on him to prevent further assault.”
Paul McAlindon, defending, said Quinn had been suffering with mental health issues and had no recollection of the incident.
He urged Judge Meek not to jail him, insisting he was making personal progress, but added: “He has come prepared and has brought his bag.
“He’s under no illusion about the severity of the offence and the dim view the court will take of this.”
Quinn, who pleaded guilty to common assault of an emergency worker, must also pay a £128 victim surcharge.
He was given a seven-day concurrent sentence in lieu of outstanding fines.
Easington MP Grahame Morris is calling on the Government to provide a funding "super-boost" to cancer services at the Spring Budget.
Mr Morris has signed a cross-party letter to the Prime MinisterandChancellor,from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Radiotherapy to highlight the urgent need to clear the covid-induced cancer backlog and prevent tens of thousands of lives being lost.
The letter, signed by 75 Parliamentarians, is backed by the #CatchUpWithCancer campaign and raises concerns that the existing Cancer Recovery Plan is out of date and the Cancer Recovery Taskforce does not have the power to secure the required investment in additional treatment and diagnostic capacity needed to tackle the backlog.
Mr Morris MP, who is vicechair of the group, said: "The Government cannot allow the covidcrisistobecomeacancer crisis. We need urgent action toclearthecancerbacklogand save lives.
“UK cancer services and treatment have lagged Europe for too long. There has never been a more important time to give the NHS the investment required to create a truly world-class cancer service to improve patient outcomes."
Leading oncologist and founder of the #CatchUpWithCancer campaign Prof Pat Price said: "We are going to be looking back in years to come at a covid caused cancer nightmare that led to as many cancer patients being lost unnecessarily as we lose to coronavirus itself.
“However,itdoesn'thaveto be this way. We can save both covid and cancer patients. But that needs a change in approach, proper accountability andhardcashatthebudgetfor cancer services.”
Ged Taylor once again takes to the letters page with a letter full on words but light on factual content: "It's a bit of a disaster" (February 18).
First on Brexit it is claimed the PM did a
"special deal for Nissan" where is the proof of this?
The PM's team negotiated a trade deal, full stop; a trade deal that was praised not only by Nissan but by the wider motor industry.
The trade deal with the EU was welcomed by Mike Hawes of the Society
of Motor Manufactures and Traders who said "it provided a platform for our future relationship".
Then there is the claim that export trade to the
EU is down 68%. However later figures show this soon recovered to being 82% down and now figures seen by the BBC show outbound trade traffic to the EU is at 98% of last February's level.
The writer goes on to say the PM's only advice to the companies experiencing red tape is to move to Europe.
Could evidence of this be provided?
The Department for
International Trade suggested exporting companies could open offices in the EU to get around EU red tape.
International business consultant, Anna Jerzewska, said she agreed with the
DIT position and added: "As far as Government advice goes this is actually not bad advice". It is also something companies have been doing for years.
Then Ged Taylor moves on to fishing.
Yes there are problems with the likes of exporting shell fish since the EU has reneged on existing agreements over "washing" shellfish. This will be resolved as it is two-way trade.
Perhaps the writer would have preferred to have remained in the EU and suffered their incompetence and ineptitude over the acquisition of the Covid vaccines.
As of week ending February 13, the UK had vaccinated more people than the whole of the EU put together.
It is also worth remembering that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer wanted the UK to join the EU's shambolic vaccine procurement scheme in 2020.
I'm sure that all reasonable opinion would recognise that with being only 56 days into a completely new trade deal after being tied to the EU for 47 years, it is too early to level excessive criticism.
“Boris Johnson
is failing this country miserably.”