Man pleads guilty to ‘coronavirus coughing’ at police

Incident follows similar cases in UK, US and Belgium

A man has admitted to coughing deliberately at police officers and claiming he was infected with coronavirus.

Darren Rafferty, 45, pled guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to his former partner, Kerry Manning, and three counts of assault on an emergency worker.

Appearing in Barkingside Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, Mr Rafferty had been "in drink" and went to Ms Manning's home, said prosecutor Ciro D'Alessio.

A "physical altercation" broke out and Ms Manning was struck from behind going down some stairs. The prosecutor told the court that her leg had been stamped on and she was slashed on the shoulder with a knife.

During Rafferty’s arrest, Met Police said he “coughed on officers and stated he was suffering from coronavirus”.

The court heard Rafferty, who wore a white face mask during the short hearing, had been checked for the virus at the police station and the force "did not have concerns".

Mr D'Alessio added: "On any reading of the assault you either get someone threatening to give someone a communicable disease or you have someone trying to give it to them."

Rafferty was remanded in custody to be sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday, April 1.

This is the second such incident in the UK, where fears over the spread of coronavirus have heightened.

Police in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, arrested three teenagers last week for allegedly coughing at an elderly couple in the street.

When a passer-by intervened, police said an “altercation” ensued which resulted in a woman in her 70s getting a black eye. She was taken to the hospital for treatment and later discharged.

Three males aged 16, 18 and 19 were questioned on suspicion of actual bodily harm, affray and criminal damage after the incident.

Similar incidents which could amount to recklessly spreading the coronavirus, which has so far infected 436,481 people and killed 19,643 people globally, have also occurred outside the UK.

Teenagers in Virginia reportedly filmed themselves coughing on grocery store produce, prompting the shop to remove the tainted items and take safety measures to protect the public.

According to ABC7, Deputy Chief Dave Daily said officers have not yet been able to locate the video on social media, but the group was seen by another patron.

Earlier this month, a man was arrested after he was filmed licking his fingers and wiping them on a handrail while travelling on a train in Belgium.

Belgian transport authority STIB-MBIV confirmed the man, who it said was drunk, was arrested and the train was withdrawn from service for disinfection.

Additional reporting by agencies