Covid in Scotland: Call for tougher action over police threats

Tougher sentences should be imposed on people who deliberately try to infect police officers with Covid, according to the Scottish Police Federation.

The body which represents rank and file officers warned its members face a "new level of risk".

More than 1,000 police assaults in the past year involved spitting or coughing or were otherwise linked to the virus.

The federation said this year alone there had been more than 420 cases of spitting recorded.

It said the culprits were often treated too leniently by the courts.

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The federation said Chief Constable Iain Livingstone had made it clear violent and abusive behaviour against officers would not be accepted.

It said that while these acts had always carried the risk of spreading infectious diseases such as hepatitis and HIV, there was a new level of risk because of Covid.

'Lack of a deterrent'

The SPF's general secretary, Calum Steele, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that very few cases resulted in imprisonment, which meant there was a "lack of a deterrent".

He said of the 420 cases this year you could "probably count on the fingers of one hand" the number which resulted in a custodial sentence.

"If assaults of this nature do not warrant a prison sentence, then what on earth kind of offence does?", he added.

He said if a custodial sentence was not imposed it was incumbent that an explanation was provided about why this was not appropriate.

'Utterly deplorable'

Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: "Officers and staff work with dedication and a commitment to helping people and violence and abuse against them is utterly deplorable and unacceptable. It is not simply part of the job and will not be tolerated."

As well as assaults, officers have reported Covid-related incidents after having their masks dislodged during a struggle.

Last year, the SPF called for anyone who commits such an assault to be automatically held in custody until they appear in court.

The issue was highlighted in the justice and social affairs magazine 1919.

It reported that among those convicted was former West Bromwich Albion and Wrexham footballer James Hurst, who coughed at police officers after claiming he had coronavirus. He was given a community sentence.

Other cases have resulted in custodial sentences, including George Crean, who spat at a police officer and "joked" about coronavirus. He was jailed for 12 months.

Stephen Gilhoolie, who was spotted carrying a knife, was sentenced to 25 months after he claimed to have the virus and coughed on officers during his arrest.

Figures released in May show assaults increased overall by 6.3% in 2020-21 compared with the previous year, with 6,942 attacks recorded on officers and staff.

Of these, 1,087 were Covid-related after analysts searched for case keywords such as "spit" and "cough".

However, the true figure will be higher with no data available from the Borders, Edinburgh, Highland or Tayside divisions.

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