A man with suspected Covid-19 has been jailed after coughing in the faces of two NHS nurses.
Lance King, 30, was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital on Monday where he deliberately coughed at the A&E workers just after 1.30pm, Staffordshire Police said.
He also urinated on the floor of his hospital cubicle and scribbled on himself and hospital property with a pen from the nurses’ desk, the force added.
King, of no fixed address, was sentenced to a year in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and criminal damage.
A 49-year-old man has also been charged with persistently making use of a public communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety, the same police force said.
The man, who has not been named, allegedly made more than 50 calls to police and ambulance services between April 6 and 7.
He is due to appear in court on May 7.
Assistant Chief Constable Simon Tweats said: “Thankfully, on the whole people are complying with Government guidelines. However, as these cases show, we will take enforcement action when required.
“Coughing on nurses who are working to save people’s lives is totally unacceptable.
“The message remains clear; stay at home and follow the guidelines.
We don’t want to have to take action but we will do so if required. Particularly against a small minority who repeatedly choose to put other lives at risk.”
