Magistrate sent home after abusive man spat in court

YOB FINALLY IN JAIL AFTER BREACHING THREE SUSPENDED TERMS

A FEMALE magistrate had to go home and a court was closed after a defendant spat at the bench yesterday.

Ms A Peat was advised by the NHS to go home after Damon Lane spat through a gap in the glass protection panels in the dock at Leicester Magistrates’ Court.

The spittle landed on the desk where Ms Peat and the chairman of the bench, Joban Putra, were sitting.

Ray Allen-Khimani, the legal advisor, told how Lane became aggressive almost as soon as he was brought into court one.

He said: “He had been in the cells overnight and was brought into court.

“We only got as far as him confirming his name and date of birth before he became very verbally aggressive.

“He started to swear then spat through the gap in the partitions. The spittle landed on the desk where the magistrates were sitting.

“Ms Peat was sitting nearest to the dock. She tried to wipe up some of the spittle.

“She spoke to the NHS and was advised to go home.”

The court was closed to be professionally cleaned.

Lane, 34, of no fixed address, was facing a charge of attempting to criminally damage a police van at Mansfield House police station, in Leicester, on Thursday.

Lane was also accused of breaching suspended jail sentence orders after three offences this year. The court heard he was given an eightweek suspended sentence in February for criminal damage and an attempted shop theft.

Then, in May, he was given a 16-week suspended sentence for criminal damage and indecent exposure.

In July, he was given a 26-week suspended sentence for possession of an offensive weapon and the possession of class A drugs.

Lane pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to damage the police van.

The remaining magistrates, sitting in a different courtroom, gave him a 52-week jail sentence.

He was also ordered to pay a £122 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

The NHS website says that the risk of serious infection from someone else’s blood or saliva is low, but nevertheless there is a chance of the other person having an infection that could be passed on, such hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV.