Seven month jail term for County Antrim man who spat blood on police officers

Sean Thomas Mateer (36), of Helen Street in Crumlin, pleaded guilty to assaulting and resisting police and being disorderly in Crumlin on July 22 this year.

Charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of a hatchet and causing criminal damage to windows on July 23 this year, were withdrawn by prosecutors at Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena.

A prosecutor said around 8.30pm on July 22, police were called to an incident in Crumlin where Mateer was standing shirtless outside a property with blood running from a cut to his eye.

He started shouting abuse at a male and then violently resisted police, kicking out and spitting "multiple times" at officers.

Mateer spat in the face of one officer and kicked him on the leg and kicked another officer and also spat on him.

A spit and bite guard was placed on him to prevent any further spitting and he was restrained on the ground and had limb restraints applied.

A cell van was bought in and Mateer "continued spitting blood at officers when they removed the spit hood from him".A defence lawyer said the defendant had "taken out his frustration on police".

Mateer had spent ten weeks on remand in custody.

District Judge Nigel Broderick said it was "quite disgusting to spit on anybody".

He added: "Police officers are public servants performing an important role for society and to be kicked and spat on is wholly unacceptable and must be dealt with rigorously by the courts".