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27
Mar
Spofforth man admits spitting blood at police officer
A Spofforth man has admitted to spitting blood at a police officer during a drunken incident.
Chris McDonald, 39, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday (March 26) when he pleaded guilty to one offence of assaulting an emergency worker by beating.
Anthony Farrell, prosecuting, told the court police were asked to attend an incident at a pub in Spofforth at around 9.20pm on February 20.
The caller told police McDonald, who was in the pub at the time, was very drunk and refusing to leave.
He smashed a glass on the pub’s floor and threatened other customers.
When police arrived, McDonald became “agitated and aggressive”, telling an officer to “go f*** yourself”.
He also called an officer a homophobic slur, Mr Farrell said.
The court heard McDonald then resisted arrest and threatened a named police officer, who was “worried about violence” being used against him.
When McDonald was placed in handcuffs, he told the officer he would “smash his head in”.
Mr Farrell told the court:
The defendant was put on the floor and taken outside… but he was hitting his head against the cage in the police van.
Soon after, McDonald was again taken to the ground, when he told the police officer:
I’m going to murder you.
He then spat blood at the named officer.
McDonald, of East Park Road, was taken to hospital but he was told he would be treated outside due to a lack of space and him being aggressive.
The defendant refused treatment, however, as he "felt like he was in a third world country”.
He also proceeded to use a racial slur, which a doctor overheard, the court was told.
Defendant ‘regrets his actions and the language used’
Mr Hardy, defending, told the court McDonald had been struggling at the time of the offence.
He was going through a difficult period personally and suffers fron PTSD, anxiety and depression.
Mr Hardy said the defendant is medicated for his mental health, but his doctor had recently changed his medication and he was “struggling” with the side effects - including mood swings - when the incident occurred.
He added:
Mr McDonald regrets his actions and the language used - he says he is not homophobic or racist. He knows the language he used was wrong.
The court heard McDonald “immediately apologised” to the police officer and has stopped drinking alcohol since the incident.
He is, however, still struggling with his mental health, Mr Hardy said.
The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. He will return to Harrogate Magistrates Court on June 4 for sentence.
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