Jail sentence for man who spat in policewoman's eye and mouth
A man with a Ballymena address who spat into the eye and mouth of a policewoman has been jailed for four months.
Michael Fitzgerald (40), of Drumtara, admitted charges of assaulting and resisting the police officer on January 20 this year.
The defendant was being aggressive and had to be restrained by a number of police officers and limb restraints and spit and bite guards had to be applied.
The defendant told police: "You deserved it." He also admitted stealing wine worth £21 from Sainsbury's in Ballymena on January 2 this year.
He also caused criminal damage to a hot meal worth £2.95 at The Phoenix shop in Ballymena on January 4. He had been barred and when asked to leave he had thrown the ready meal across the floor making it unfit for sale.
On Tuesday, he appeared at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, via video link from prison.
A defence barrister said the offending was "serious" and the spitting incident had been "disgusting". She said the defendant was a binge drinker.
The barrister said the defendant was remorseful and regrets his behaviour towards police. She said he had a "transient lifestyle" and had "slept rough for six months".
District Judge Nigel Broderick said spitting in the mouth and eye of a police officer was "clearly a very serious matter".
He ordered that the four months sentence should start at the end of a sentence currently being served by the defendant.
At court in January the defendant had been given a six months jail sentence for spitting in a civilian detention officer’s face at a police station during an incident in August 2024.