Wigan man arrested on his birthday spat in police officer's face

Leighton McCullough blasted saliva into the face and onto the shirt of a constable who had attempted to restrain him when he became aggressive in the cells.

Other news: Wigan pubs scoop top awards from Loo of the Year inspectorsIn the dock at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court, the 24-year-old, of St Wilfrid’s Road, Standish, pleaded guilty to assaulting a constable in the execution of their duty.

The court heard how, at 11.30pm on May 4, a PC Trickett noticed McCullough being loud and boisterous while being booked in at the police station.

It was shortly afterwards when he heard a commotion coming from the cell McCullough had been escorted to, and went to investigate.

He found McCullough being restrained on the ground, face down and trying to wriggle free from officers.

PC Trickett stepped in and placed restraints on his legs, but McCullough spat on the back of his shirt as the officer was walking out of the cell.

Peering back through the peephole into the cell, the constable realised that McCullough, who was sitting in a corner, was now in the process of untying his leg restraints using his teeth.

The bobby rushed back into the room to restrain the prisoner once again and it was at this point that McCullough spat in his face.

In a victim impact statement read out to the hearing, PC Trickett called the incident “the most degrading act anyone can do to someone else”.

The officer revealed that he did not have a spare shirt at work that day, meaning that he had to carry out the rest of his shift covered in someone else’s spittal.

Defending, Kathryn Lloyd said McCullough had been involved in a “large scale disturbance” during his birthday night out, which had led to his arrest, although he was never implicated or convicted in connection with this incident.

The spitting incident was “a great deal of shame to him,” Ms Lloyd added.

In sentencing, justices told McCullough: “This court takes a very dim view of this behaviour.”

He was find £400 and must also pay £85 in costs, a victim surcharge of £40 and £100 in compensation to PC Trickett.