THE chair of the Dorset Police Federation has questioned if the prison sentence handed to a man who spat at an officer ‘reflected the gravity of the crime’.

Anna Harvey said a custodial sentence was the “only appropriate outcome” in Steven Licorish’s case.

The 41-year-old was jailed after he pleaded guilty to assaulting PC Joe Terry on January 6. Licorish spat at the officer, with the spittle landing on his stab vest.

However, after discovering that the defendant had been jailed for 10 weeks, and entitled to release on licence after five weeks, Ms Harvey has spoken out.

She told the Daily Echo: “A custodial sentence was the only appropriate outcome for such a disgusting act. However our colleagues will be wondering why only a pathetic 10 weeks? Does that reflect the gravity of the crime?

“Officers feel that the Criminal Justice System must do more to support them.”

During the sentencing hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court on April 17, it was accepted that the case differed from those where Covid had been used by offenders as a threat to officers - in effect weaponising the virus to cause fear.

The court heard Licorish, of Bath Road, Bournemouth, did not have any symptoms of the coronavirus at the time of the assault and he did not know if he was infected.

Judge Jonathan Fuller QC said the evidence in the case had found it could not be said that Licorish's spitting led to the officer getting infected.

As a result, he was sentenced purely on the act of spitting itself.

The judge lowered the sentence from its starting point set out in guidelines having taken into account Licorish's guilty plea in the lower court, which entitled him to a reduction of one third, the defendant's remorse and personal mitigation.

He made it clear that a suspended sentence was not appropriate due to the seriousness of the offence.

Discussing the offence of spitting at officers, Ms Harvey added: “When we look back at some of the incidents we’ve seen perpetrated against our members during the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a marked increase of cases of biting, spitting and Covid being used as a threat and a weapon.

“This is deplorable and – with our colleague in this case going on to get seriously ill with Covid-19 after this incident – it shows the dangers that are out there. Particularly for many police officers who inexplicably remain un-vaccinated.

“We must protect the protectors.”