Gravesend man alleged to have deliberately coughed at officers charged
A Gravesend man has been charged following allegations he deliberately coughed at police officers amid claims he had Covid-19 symptoms.
The incident is reported to have happened on Tuesday 21 April 2020, after the suspect attended Tonbridge police station in relation to another matter.
Shaun Hewett, aged 26, of Camden Close, Gravesend was charged with two counts of assaulting an emergency worker. He was further charged with causing criminal damage, connected to damage to a police cell. He was remanded in custody to appear before Medway Magistrates’ Court on 22 April.
The Assaults on Emergency Workers Act came into force in November 2018 and created a new offence of assault against emergency workers – including police, paramedics, nurses and other blue light workers. It also provides tougher sentencing powers for judges.
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