Addict who claimed infection as he spat at constable jailed

Aman has been locked up for spitting on a police officer after claiming to be infected with Hepatitis C.

PC Paul Smith was forced to undergo blood tests for six nerve-wracking months after being spat on by serial offender Connor MacLeod.

The 24-year-old shouted: “I’ve got Hep C,” before spitting directly into the officer’s face.

PC Smith was helping to remove MacLeod from a bus after he had fallen into a drug-induced slump, Dundee Sheriff Court was told.

MacLeod would later spit on another officer in a separate incident at police headquarters on West Bell Street.

Yesterday a sheriff jailed MacLeod for 30 months and ordered him to be supervised upon his release from prison.

Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC told MacLeod: “That police constable had to undertake a series of blood tests over a period of six months. That put him under considerable stress.

“That’s a very serious matter.”

Fiscal depute Marie Irvine previously revealed MacLeod was the only passenger on the 1A bus and caught the attention of the driver who noticed he was unconscious.

The driver believed MacLeod was under the influence of drugs and contacted the police after failing to rouse him.

Officers found MacLeod was sliding off his seat and called for paramedics.

However, MacLeod became verbally abusive after waking and had to be forcibly removed from the vehicle.

Ms Irvine said: “The accused was placed into the police van. While the door was being closed, he spat in the officer’s face which landed on his lips and mouth. After being taken to police headquarters, he replied ‘I have no’ got Hep C any more’.

“The officer attended accident and emergency to undergo blood tests. He underwent four blood tests over a six-month period which showed no sign of Hepatitis C.”

MacLeod, a prisoner of HMP Perth, pleaded guilty to spitting in the face of PC Smith on June 7 2019 on Benholm Place and claiming to have Hepatitis C, causing the risk of infection.

He also obstructed PC Smith and PC Shogun Hangetsu by acting aggressively, struggling with them, shouting, swearing and making violent threats.

On November 19 last year, MacLeod spat on PC Andrew Barrie’s body within the cell area of police headquarters while on two separate bail orders.

Defence solicitor Jim Laverty said MacLeod was in the throes of a pernicious drug addiction at the time of the offences and said his client expressed “remorse”.

MacLeod was jailed for a total of 30 months and made subject to a supervised release order for 12 months following the end of his prison term.