TWO men were sentenced after an incident in Oxford where police officers were coughed at, assaulted, spat upon and verbally abused.
Michael Roberts, 40, of Temple Road, Oxford, appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court, last Friday, and pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker and common assault on an emergency worker.
He also admitted to breaching Covid-19 regulations, and a Section 5 public order offence.
Roberts was sentenced to 22 weeks imprisonment, and ordered to pay £250 in compensation payments.
At a previous hearing, Dominic Brown, aged 46, of Bullingdon Road, Oxford, pleaded guilty to breaching Covid-19 regulations and a racially aggravated public order offence against a police officer, at the same court on Friday, April 24.
Brown was sentenced to an eight-week community order and ordered to pay a fine for the breach, compensation to the officer and a victim surcharge.
Both sentences are in connection with an incident in St Clement's on Thursday, April 23, where a group of people had gathered against current lockdown measures.
When PCSOs arrived at the scene they were faced with verbal abuse and were purposefully coughed at by Roberts.
ALSO READ: Pret a Manger announces it will reopen branch in Oxford from Monday
The man then kicked two police officers down and spat at them.
Investigating officer Rebekah Routh said: “We are only enforcing as a last resort, as we try and engage and explain in the first instance to those who are in breach.
ALSO READ: DJ set to go live for VE day celebration
“However, when officers face verbal, racist abuse, it is not acceptable and enforcement was absolutely necessary in this case.
“Both Brown and Roberts pleaded guilty to these offences and have both faced justice swiftly in the courts.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel