This is the moment a woman coughed at police after being arrested amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The clip, shared by Northumbria Police on Tuesday, shows 39-year-old Charlene Merrifield aiming a cough at one of the force's officers while he explains why she is being detained.
Merrifield, of no fixed address, has since been sent to prison for 21 weeks after admitting to assaulting an emergency worker, criminal damage, a public order offence, and breaching a suspended sentence.
She admitted the offences when appearing before magistrates in South Tyneside on April 15, a week after she was detained by officers following the incident in Hebburn, a town in Tyne and Wear.
Officers from the force were called to Lyon Street on April 8 following a report that a woman had been attempting to attack a man with a knife and caused damage to vehicles.
Arriving on the scene, they found Merrifield with two bricks in her hand, and a Ford Focus car, which had its windscreen wiper snapped off.
She was found not to be in possession of a knife, but was arrested on suspicion of affray after becoming aggressive and abusive towards the police.
The footage shows her asking the officer why she has been detained, with the officer explaining the reasons.
She then gets into the back of the police van, before leaning forward and coughing in the direction of an officer.
Commenting on the case, Chief Inspector Nicola Wearing, of Northumbria Police, said: “Our officers come to work each day in order to keep people safe and protect the communities they serve.
“They do so knowing they could be faced with potentially dangerous situations.
“However, at a time when our communities across Northumbria are pulling together and showing the incredible spirit that this region is famed for, there remains a small minority who show a total disregard for both the law and the welfare of others.
“Charlene Merrifield knew exactly what she was doing as she decided to intentionally cough at one of our officers, which is absolutely appalling.
“I hope this case highlights how seriously offences of this nature are being taken in the light of the current pandemic.”
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Following Merrifield's sentencing, Northumbria Police reiterated that any similar behaviour "will be treated incredibly seriously amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic".
