A man who cut a former girlfriend’s hand during a heated argument deliberately coughed at police officers and told them he had COVID-19.
Lee Edwards made the remarks last month as the officers who had arrested him were leading him away from the Watford flat whet he had injured her.
Yesterday (Wednesday), Edwards, 40, of no fixed address was jailed for a total of 14 months when he appeared at St Albans Crown Court for sentence via a video link from Bedford Prison where he had been held on remand.
He admitted a series of offences including, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault of an emergency worker and criminal damage.
Edwards also admitted two offences of assault by beating, theft and harassment.
Prosecutor Sebastian Cox said the victim of much of the defendant’s offending was a woman he had formed a relationship with but which had come to an end after 18 months.
She was to tell the police it had become toxic.
By February of this year it was over between them, but it didn’t stop Edwards causing problems for her by turning up at her flat.
He shouted through her letter box and on one occasion snatched her key from her.
The arguments continued and he even took the opportunity to let himself in her flat.
He took her mobile phone worth £250 and made off with it.
The court heard it was in early April of this year that Edwards was back at the woman’s flat and during a heated argument he grabbed a knife.
Mr Cox said when she tried to grab it from him she ended up receiving a nasty cut and which point he grabbed her round the throat and squeezed till she couldn’t breathe.
The court was told she managed to get out of the flat and called the police.
The prosecutor said it was as officers were escorting Edwards from the flat that he began coughing telling them he had the coronavirus.
Despite being asked not to cough but continued to do so resulting him being charged with common assault of an emergency worker.
The court was told Edwards is now sorry for his behaviour towards his former girlfriends and wants to pass on his apologies.
Edwards was jailed for 12 months for the offences against his ex and a further two months for his behaviour towards the officers by coughing at them..
Judge Caroline Wigin also made his the subject of a restraining order which forbids him from contacting the woman or going to her home
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