A man who claimed to have coronavirus and spat at police while being arrested for domestic assault has been jailed.
Brandon Wallace, 21, of no fixed address, was arrested in Barking just before midday on Monday after assaulting a woman in her home and damaging the property, Scotland Yard said in a statement.
During his arrest, he said he had Covid-19 and spat at two officers. This led to a further arrest for assault on emergency workers.
He was later charged and admitted while in custody that he didn't have the virus or any of its symptoms.
He pleaded guilty at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday to assaulting the woman and the emergency workers, and to criminal damage.
He was sentenced to six months in prison.
East Area’s Inspector Alexis Manley said: “It says much about the attitude of this man that, in addition to targeting somebody close to him, he was also willing to make false claims about Covid-19 and to spit at officers.”
