Coronavirus: Man jailed for spitting at nurses who treated him

Zeb Fitts spat in the faces of two nurses at West Suffolk Hospital

A man who who spat on nurses after claiming he had coronavirus has been jailed for four months.

Zeb Fitts, 25, had been so aggressive he was being treated in a police van by the two emergency nurses he attacked outside a Bury St Edmunds hospital.

Fitts, of no fixed address, had earlier admitted two counts of assaulting an emergency worker at West Suffolk Hospital.

He was "disgusted" by his actions on 6 April, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

• Coronavirus: Live updates from across the East of England

Sentencing Judge Martyn Levett said that in "these deeply disturbing times... to deliberately spit or cough towards others, especially emergency workers and police, is intending to cause deadly or serious harm."

'Acting strange'

Fitts - who had also admitted one count of common assault and one of criminal damage at an earlier hearing - had gone to hospital after sustaining injuries as he assaulted the housemate of his girlfriend, in Bury St Edmunds.

His first victim said Fitts had been "acting a bit strange" and became violent, repeatedly punching and kicking him, after he was asked to leave.

When police arrived the defendant claimed to "have Covid-19" and threatened to spit on officers before he was restrained and put in a spit hood.

He was taken to hospital where he was treated in the police van, by nurses Caroline Seaman and Stephanie Beck.

He then "spat directly at them, with saliva landing on their faces and masks, causing them to recoil back," the court heard.

Neither nurse has since shown symptoms of coronavirus or had to self-isolate but one confirmed she was still awaiting results for other tests.

'No memory of attack'

Both nurses were too busy treating patients during the pandemic to produce full victim impact statements, the court was told.

Lynne Shirley, mitigating, said her client had "no memory of the day" because of a mix of alcohol, cannabis and prescription medication that he had taken.

However, she said he was "disgusted" by his actions and "deeply remorseful".

Fitts was struggling with mental health issues after becoming homeless at the time of the assaults, Ms Shirley said.

He was sentenced to a total of eight months in prison of which he will serve half in custody.

• A SIMPLE GUIDE: How do I protect myself?

• AVOIDING CONTACT: The rules on self-isolation and exercise

• LOOK-UP TOOL: Check cases in your area

• MAPS AND CHARTS: Visual guide to the outbreak

• VIDEO: The 20-second hand wash

• STRESS: How to look after your mental health