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Published 16:04 IST, April 4th 2020

COVID-19: UK man jailed for six months for coughing on cop & saying he had Coronavirus

A man was arrested and jaile for six months after he coughed on a police officer and later claimed that he has coronavirus infected as well.

Reported by: Prachi Arya
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COVID-19: Man imprisoned for six months after coughing on cop, claimed to have coronavirus
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During this hour of crisis where everyone is abiding by the rules of social distancing and quarantine, a man in London was arrested and put behind the bars for six months after he coughed on a police officer and later claimed that he has Coronavirus infection as well.

Addressing the behavior of the man, Chief Superintendent Helen Harper reportedly said that they hope that this punishment sends a message to everyone that that such kind of behavior will not be tolerated anymore. 

Six months inprisonment for coughing on a cop

The Metropolitan Police informed about the news on their official Twitter handle where they shared the picture of the culprit along and wrote that 55-year-old Adam Lewis, was sentenced to six months in prison for assault at Westminster Magistrates' Court after he tried to cough on a police officer. 

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As per reports, the cop was informed by people on roads while he was on patrol in Westminster at around 3.40 pm on March 31 that a man had been seen trying the handles of various car doors in the area. When the officer caught hold of Lewis and tried to speak to him, he shouted and said that he is a COVID-19 victim and threatened the cop to cough on his face so that he gets contaminated.

As soon as Lewis bent forward to cough on the police constable's face, he fell on the floor, as the officer reportedly sought to keep Lewis at a distance. As the constable tried to refrain himself while bending down onto the floor, Lewis then attempted to cough up, before trying to spit in his face, according to the police report.

Lewis even tried to bite the cop. After seeing this mishap, other colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Service arrived on the spot immediately and the culprit arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

Lewis has been now convicted of assault. Harper reportedly said that thankfully these types of incidents are very rare and also hope that the length of the sentence would send out a strong message to all the offenders and violators about these kinds of behavior being unacceptable by the police. 

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Image credit: AP

Updated 16:04 IST, April 4th 2020