A woman bit the arm of a police officer before coughing and shouting “I have Covid!”
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Emma Barron, 43, attempted to flee from officers at a property on Hillview Cresent in the Aberdeenshire town of Rosehearty before sinking her teeth into a police officer’s arm.
While in custody, Barron then began to cough at cops in an exaggerated way before announcing: “I have Covid!”
She then kicked a police officer and made a racist comment.
Barron pleaded guilty to four charges that she assaulted a police officer by biting him, coughed in the faces of two officers and kicked another officer.
Woman attempted to flee then bit officer
Fiscal depute Ruaridh McAllister told the court that police had attended at the Rosehearty property on July 20, 2020 on an unrelated matter when Barron attempted to flee from the scene, first by car and then on foot.
He said: “A constable attempted to restrain the accused and she struck him twice on the chest with her hand.
“Another officer attempted to assist and whilst being seated in a police vehicle, the accused lunged forward and bit the constable’s forearm – the bite did not break the skin.
“The accused was taken to Kittybrewster custody suite and whilst being booked into custody she began to exaggerate a cough at two officers.
“The officers formed the view that the coughing was not natural and appeared to be forced.
“The accused then shouted: ‘I have Covid’.”
Barron was then taken into a search room where she kicked a police officer in the leg and shouted: “foreign f***s!”
‘She seeks solace in alcohol’
Defence agent Sam Milligan described Barron as someone who has “problems” in her life and who “seeks solace in alcohol”.
He added: “There’s clearly an acceptance on her part of the difference that comes about as a result of her consuming alcohol.”
Sheriff Andrew Miller told Barron: “You do have a significant record, including a number of convictions for behaviour directed at police officers and public order offending.
“Alcohol clearly seems to have played some part in your behaviour on this particular occasion.
“You bit one officer and kicked another while making a racial comment to them and tried to make two others believe they were at risk of being infected with Covid-19 by you.
“Your behaviour was completely unacceptable.”
Sheriff Miller sentenced Barron, of Hillview Cresent, Rosehearty, to a community payback order with 12-months supervision and ordered her to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.
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