Man jailed for spitting at London bus driver during coronavirus lockdown
1 April 2021, 22:33
A man who spat at a bus driver during England's third coronavirus lockdown has been jailed.
Michael Aidoo, of no fixed address, has been sentenced to 18 weeks in prison after pleading guilty to common assault.
On 13 February, Aidoo boarded a bus in Peckham, south London, but refused to pay a fare and attempted to walk past the driver.
When challenged, Aidoo became abusive before pulling down his mask and spitting at the driver and getting off the bus.
Thankfully, a screen between the driver and passengers provided protection.
The driver then used a swab to collect a sample of Aidoo's saliva, which he then handed to officers at Lewisham Police Station.
The DNA was found to be a direct match to that of Aidoo, who was then arrested at Vauxhall train station on 24 March.
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At Croydon magistrates Court, he was sentenced to 18 weeks' imprisonment and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £128.
Detective Sergeant Ian Beattie, of the Met's Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: "This was a disgusting act against a key worker who was providing an essential service during the lockdown.
"To be spat is completely unacceptable and it is right that Aidoo has been given a custodial sentence to reflect the seriousness of this offence.
"Spitting is disgraceful at any time, but it is even more shocking in the middle of a pandemic. We will not tolerate such behaviour."
