DRIVER SPAT AT POLICE IN LOCKDOWN SPOT CHECK
ABUSED OFFICERS AND SAID HE WAS STOPPED BECAUSE HE’S BLACK
A DRIVER racially abused and spat at police who stopped his car, writes Suzy Gibson.
Collis Pegg accused the officers of targeting him because he was black – and racially insulted white and Asian officers.
The 36-year-old spat at them, hitting one constable in the eye.
It took five officers, and CS spray, to restrain him, Leicester Crown Court was told.
Elizabeth Dodds, prosecuting, said police saw a blue BMW in
London Road, Leicester, at 1.30am on April 19 and were interested to know why the driver was out so late. Pegg, who was going home from a night shift, was pulled over for a routine check.
AN ANGRY driver racially abused and spat at police officers who stopped his car during lockdown.
Collis Pegg accused them of targeting him because he is black - and hurled a tirade of racist insults at white and Asian officers.
The 36-year-old spat at them, getting one constable in the eye.
It took five officers, and CS spray, to restrain him, Leicester Crown Court was told.
Elizabeth Dodds, prosecuting, said officers saw a blue BMW being driven on London Road, in the city, at 1.30am on Sunday, April 19 and were interested to know why the driver was out so late.
Pegg, pictured, who was returning from a work nightshift, was pulled over for a routine check in Upper Tichborne Street, Highfields. The prosecutor said: “He was agitated and hostile and expressed an assumption he’d been stopped because of the colour of his skin.
“He accused the police of being racist when they were simply trying to monitor the situation and enforce the government’s instructions regarding the coronavirus lockdown.
“He continued being hostile and aggressive and shouted ‘don’t touch my car,’ and ‘it’s because I’m black.’ He was making racist remarks, with flailing arms, and spitting at them as they tried to calm him down.”
Pegg continued with racist slurs towards the white and Asian officers, making further offensive racial comments towards a policewoman. He pushed one officer and spat in another’s eye, before calling a constable a “fake Abdullah” with reference to his appearance and the Muslim faith, said the prosecutor.
She said: “Given the pandemic emergency, the spitting was particularly concerning for the officers.”
Pegg of Dover Street, in the city centre, pleaded guilty to two counts of racially aggravated common assault, two of assaulting emergency workers and one of racially aggravated harassment.
The court heard Pegg had 62 crimes on his record, including a firearms offence in 2003, when he was jailed for four years.
In 2009 he received a four-year prison sentence for drug offences and in 2015 he was jailed for three years for an assault.
Judge Robert Brown said: “I’ve seen the bodycam footage and I’m satisfied you became aggressive and violent. You shouted, swore and used racist language.
“You’ve admitted offences on no less than five officers - that’s how many it took to get you under control and restrain you.
“You spat in an officer’s face and it was deliberate, although an apology followed it didn’t appear to be a sincere one.
“You’ve a bad record but have taken steps to get yourself work and have given up a life of drugs and crime and I’m pleased to hear that.”
Nicola Hunter, in mitigation, said: “He’s been out of prison for a few years and managed to get his life in order and was working full-time as a fork lift truck driver.
“At the time he was a key worker, during this pandemic, and was simply driving home in a law-abiding manner, with a valid licence and insurance. He was feeling very tired after working a late shift and was going to stay at his mother’s home.
“In the weeks before this he’d been stopped by the police eight times, which hadn’t involved any arrests, including when his children were in the car and they had to be removed from their seats while his car was searched, which was distressing for the children.
“On this night he was again stopped for no apparent reason and in, that context, he felt he was stopped due to his race. In hindsight, he thought that wrongly.
“He was sprayed by CS spray which affected him and whilst getting into the police van he spat out, because his mouth was full of the spray.
“It wasn’t deliberately aimed at the officers - but it hit the officers and for that he’s sorry.
“He fully accepts his behaviour was unacceptable. He’s sad he’s placed himself in this position.”
After being jailed for nine months, Pegg said from the dock: “When I come out of prison I’ll be going back to life of crime.”