A MAN has been jailed for spitting at a police officer in York city centre during the lockdown.

Mark Code, 54, was nearly 140 miles away from his home.

He made the policeman fear for his safety during the incident on Parliament Street on Saturday.

Code, whose home is College Lane, South Runcton, near King’s Lynn, Norfolk, pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and using threatening or abusive behaviour with intent to make someone fear harassment, alarm or distress.

Police also charged him with not being at his home but that charge was withdrawn when he appeared before York Magistrates Court in Leeds.

He was jailed for 18 weeks.

District judge Adrian Lower said the assault was serious because Code spat at the police officer and made officers fears for their own safety. It was also a deliberate attack on a public servant carrying out public duties.

Code has previous convictions.

He appeared before York Magistrates Court on Monday after spending much of the weekend in police custody.

The duty solicitor initially represented him for the hearing, but Code sacked him and proceeded to represent himself.