Wigan hospital patient spat mouthful of blood at police officer

Martin Wilding, 29, of Warrington Road, Platt Bridge, was taken to Wigan Infirmary after being injured in the attack on August 28.

Wigan magistrates were told officers went to see him about a different matter and stayed with him in hospital.

Katie Beattie, prosecuting, said he started to become agitated about the length of his wait and began shouting.

Wilding tried to remove a medical tube from his hand and PC Lamb took hold of him to stop him.

Ms Beattie said: “He spat a mouthful of blood onto his right forearm. The officer said, ‘He was aiming the spit directly at my arm, not anywhere else’.”

PC Lamb felt “physically sick” and immediately washed the blood from his arm.

Wilding admitted assaulting a police officer on the basis of recklessness.

The court was told Wilding had given a different account of what happened. Peter Moran, defending, said Wilding had drank around half a bottle of gin and was walking home when he was assaulted by two men.

He said: “He sustained a broken jaw and he was rendered unconscious. I think the police or paramedics took him to Wigan Infirmary. His next recollection in that condition was waking up with police officers around who were holding him down.

"He doesn’t take issue with whether they were acting in the execution of their duty or not, he accepts they were presumably assisting hospital staff.

“He accepts that he was disorientated. He accepts struggling, trying to get away and he accepts his mouth and various parts of his body were covered in blood.”

He admitted spitting in the direction of the police officer, Mr Moran said, but no injuries were caused. Wilding, who needed inpatient treatment for his injuries, had more than 35 previous convictions and was recently released from prison.

Justices handed down a two-year conditional discharge and ordered Wilding to pay £85 costs, a £20 victim surcharge and £50 compensation to PC Lamb.