Man wiped face on officer and claimed he had coronavirus
WHEN police tried to arrest a man, he wiped his face on an officer’s arm and told him he had coronavirus.
An emergency call had been made after Andrew Gyde breached the terms of a restraining order by visiting a woman, Bristol Crown Court heard.
Gyde (right), 32, of Meriet Avenue in Hartcliffe, pleaded guilty to a total of three breaches of a court order on December 18 last year and April 6 and 26 this year.
He also admitted three assaults on emergency workers on April 27 this year and causing criminal damage on April 6 this year.
Judge William Hart jailed him for 13 months, which included full activation of a previously suspended jail term.
He told Gyde: “The one sensible thing you’ve done in recent times is to plead guilty in the magistrates’ court.”
Neil Treharne, prosecuting, told the court Gyde persistently breached a restraining order by turning up where he shouldn’t, behaving aggressively and damaging property.
He assaulted two police constables who arrested him before making the virus threat to a third, Mr Treharne said.
The officer made a statement in which he said: “As I was escorting him down the pathway he was complaining about the handcuffs.
“I remained professional whilst dealing with him as he was also suffering the effects of the PAVA [similar to pepper spray] as I guided him out of the garden area.
“As we got onto the road, he started to spit all over the floor and purposely wipe his face that was covered in saliva and mucus all over my right arm. I then said: ‘Don’t put your head all over me, mate.’
“Gyde then reacted violently and pulled his head back and tried to almost head-butt me in the chest area.”
Gyde then said he had coronavirus and swore at the officer.
The officer said: “Whilst doing this the fluids from his face and head were thrust in my direction.”
The officer said Gyde was then taken to the ground, where he remained until police arrived with a van to escort him safely to Keynsham custody suite.
He added: “With the current situation with the coronavirus and the dangers that all emergency workers are working with, I am disgusted with the behaviour from Gyde.
“He knew full well what he was doing when wiping his head all over my arm.
“All I did was ask him not to wipe his face over my arm and he purposely tried to head butt me and make sure I had even more of his fluids on me whilst telling me he was infected.”