A man and woman have been jailed for assaulting police during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Lucy Mary Stonehouse, 24, was sent to prison for spitting at a detention officer.

She became aggressive and assaulted a detention officer when she was brought into custody in Scarborough for an unrelated matter on Wednesday (April 15).

She was also ordered to pay £100 in compensation after appearing at York Magistrates’ Court sitting in Leeds.

David Fraser Flinton, 38, was jailed for eight weeks for assaulting a police officer, plus four weeks for a criminal damage offence and ordered to pay £50 compensation at the same court in the same sitting yesterday.

Stonehouse, of Barrowcliff Road, Scarborough, and Flinton, of Crown Crescent, Scarborough, both pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency services worker. Flinton also admitted criminal damage. 

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Sergeant Jane Brewster said: “Any assault on emergency services workers is unacceptable."

About the spitting she said: "This kind of vile behaviour amid the current risk of Covid-19, is particularly deplorable and distressing for the victim.

“Throughout these difficult times, police officers and police staff continue to put their service to the public first, to keep people and communities safe across North Yorkshire.

“Nobody should be assaulted for doing their job and I hope the custodial sentence given to Stonehouse shows how completely unacceptable this is.”

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has already said that anyone who deliberately coughs at emergency services workers or uses having Covid-19 as a threat faces serious criminal charges.