Man jailed for spitting on police officer and threatening hotel staff
4 May 2020, 10:20
A man has been jailed for spitting in a police officer's face and threatening to kill the staff of a London hotel.
Officers were called to a hotel in Brent after Nicolae-Raul Cozacu threatened staff after they caught him urinating against the wall of the hotel.
Scotland Yard said in a statement that police were called at 2.30pm on March 23 to Empire Way, Brent, after the 43-year-old, of no fixed address, failed to leave when staff requested he do so.
Cozacu was eventually escorted off the premises, which police said led him to become "abusive and threatening".
Police said Cozacu smashed a bottle and "tried to chase staff members, threatening that he would kill them".
When a member of the hotel's staff tried to reason with him, Cozacu spat in the person's face.
Police arrived and arrested him, after which he became unwell and was taken to hospital where he spat in the face of an officer.
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He was arrested on discharge from the hospital and appeared at Willesden Magistrates' Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to three charges including common assault of an emergency worker, police said.
He was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison.
North West Command Unit's Inspector Sammi Elfituri said: "Spitting at people, including emergency workers, is thoroughly disgusting and completely unacceptable behaviour, especially given the current climate.
"I am glad the courts have taken a robust stance to protect both the public and our staff."
