A COVID rule-breaker who coughed at police officers as they tried to break up a house party has been jailed for a year.
Christopher McMahon was convicted last month of assaulting two officers and exposing them to the risk of illness and infection.
McMahon, 29, had confronted the pair when they turned up at a flat in Viewfield, East Kilbride, last April.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard the incident happened in the early hours of the morning after the officers asked him to keep the noise down.
One officer said that as they were going down the stairs of the common close, McMahon "almost threw himself over the banister".
He said 'is this the coronavirus? Aye.' and coughed on them twice.
Jennifer Cunningham, prosecuting, told the jury: "This was at the height of the first coronavirus lockdown.
"These police officers were key workers trying to enforce the rules put in place to keep us all safe.
"They had made numerous requests for Christopher McMahon to calm down and go back into the flat, but he wouldn't listen and coughed at them in a moment of anger.
"It was a deliberate attack in strange and unusual times that had the potential for very serious consequences."
The court heard that, after his arrest, McMahon - now of Urquhart Drive in the town - said sorry for coughing, but complained that the officers would not accept his apology.
He had been drinking for the best part of 12 hours before the police arrived.
McMahon admitted to his solicitor, Sandy Morrison, that he had been drunk and obstructive, but insisted he coughed only as he was walking back to his flat and not at the officers.
However, the jury returned a majority guilty verdict on the assault charge.
When McMahon returned to court for sentence this week, Mr Morrison said alternatives to prison had been put forward in a criminal justice social work report.
But he admitted: "I'm aware of the directions given by the High Court on these matters. Sentencing options are extremely limited."
Sheriff Thomas Millar told McMahon: "This must attract a custodial sentence, having regard to the nature of the offence. The sentence will be one of 12 months."
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