Jail sentence for Doagh man who spat blood in face of police officer
A man who spat blood in the face of a police officer has received a three months prison term.
Bradley Agnew (26), of Ballymena Road near Doagh, assaulted the police officer on November 27 last year.
A prosecutor told Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, that at 1.15pm on November 27 police received a report of an unconscious man at an address in Antrim town.
After "several attempts" to revive him he regained consciousness and when escorted to an ambulance he became "aggressive" and was "verbally abusive" to police.
He attempted to bite an officer on the hand and when placed on a stretcher in the ambulance he "spat blood into the face of" the officer. The defendant was then taken to hospital. He had a record.
A defence barrister said the defendant said he "was the victim of an assault by four individuals he doesn't know and had been knocked unconscious and he fully accepts that he was also under the influence of drugs".
The defendant "had no recollection of this incident"; was "deeply ashamed" and wished to pass on his "sincere apologies" to the officer.
Handing down a three months jail sentence, District Judge Nigel Broderick said: "Anyone who spits blood in the face of a police officer must readily expect a custodial sentence.
"There are far too many of these assaults on police officers and this is one of the more serious ones. There must be a clear message those who assault police officers will be dealt with appropriately and proportionately by the courts."
The defendant was given bail in the sum of £500.