A woman claiming to have Covid who spat blood and saliva at polic e, bit an officer on the leg, urinated in the back of a police van, and threatened to assault a hospital doctor was jailed for 18 months today.
Michelle Barr's conduct was condemned as "despicable and disgusting" by a sheriff.
Prosecutor Kristina Kelly said police went to Falkirk High Street about 5.00pm on September 25th last year (2021) after CCTV monitoring Barr "alerted them to anti-social behaviour".
Barr, 35, was arrested and then "lunged with her mouth" towards PC Carlie-Anne Spowart and bit her right leg.
Ms Kelly said: "She was warned about her conduct and then spat towards PC Spowart. The spittle landed on PC Spowart's chest."
She was placed in a spit hood and into a police van cage, but en route to Falkirk Police Station she managed to remove her spit hood, banged her handcuffs off her seat, repeatedly headbutted the cage, and struck her nose on the corner of her seat, making her nose bleed.
Ms Kelly said: "She spat blood and spittle over the van, kicked the cell, shouted incoherently and screamed constantly."
She had to be carried out of the van after refusing to leave voluntarily, and spat on the side of PC John Thompson's face.
Taken to a cell, she spat on another officer, PC Gillian Mansell, then grabbed her and tried to headbutt her.
Placed under constant observation, she shouted at officers, "Just f*** off and leave me alone" and threatened to urinate on the officers.
She added, "I'm going to s*** on you as well."
Ms Kelly, the depute fiscal, said: "The accused then feigned unconsciousness, which required the officers to move closer to her to check on her. Each time they did so, she attempted to headbutt or spit on them."
A custody nurse at Falkirk Police Station had "concerns" and instructed Barr should be taken to hospital.
Ms Kelly said this "enraged the accused".
Officers brought clean clothes for her to wear to hospital, and while she was being put into them she spat directly into PC Christine Glendinning's face, the saliva going into her eyes.
A spit hood was re-applied, but Barr held her breath and stopped moving, which meant the hood had to be removed again for her safety.
Still refusing to go to hospital, she had to be carried to a police van, during which operation she headbutted PC Spowart on the stomach and spat towards PC Mansell.
Placed in the van cage, she screamed at officers, "Black b*******, yous are black smelly f******", then managed to partially remove her jogging bottoms while still being handcuffed to the rear, before urinating in the back of the van.
Ms Kelly said: "She added that she was going to defecate in the cell and throw the same at officers."
She said if a doctor came to see her at the hospital she would say he'd sexually assaulted her, before adding, "I'm going to go to sleep and I'll assault whoever wakes me up, just you wait".
She added in reference to a doctor, "Just you wait, I'll assault him, just wait and see."
She was eventually seen by a nurse in the police van in the hospital car park and cleared for return to the police station, where she continued to try to assault the police.
Ms Kelly said: "During the whole incident she continually said that she had Covid, although she was inconsistent about when she was tested and when she was supposed to remain in isolation.
"She shouted, 'I've got Covid, now you've got it too and you're going to die' while forcibly coughing towards the officers."
Barr, of Falkirk, appearing at Stirling Sheriff Court by video link from Polmont Prison, pleaded guilty to police assault and threatening and abusive behaviour.
Solicitor Mark Fallon, defending, said the incident had been "driven by the misuse of drugs".
He said: "Prior to this occasion, Miss Barr had awoken to find her partner had passed away during the night, and that was very distressing to Miss Barr.
"In the cold light of day, she is ashamed and appalled by her behaviour."
Imposing the 18-month jail term, Sheriff Derek Hamilton told Barr her behaviour had been "disgusting and quite despicable".
He said incidents of spitting at police had become "far too common".
