A WOMAN has been convicted of spitting at a custody security officer at Greenock police office in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jill Smith, 58, stood trial at Greenock Sheriff Court on Thursday charged with assaulting a man at the station after being arrested on May 31, 2020.

The incident took place while she was being booked into the custody suite in the town at around 5:15am.

Giving evidence, one of the arresting officers said Smith directed verbal abuse at him and his fellow PC, as well as a colleague who was standing behind the charge bar.

Due to restrictions introduced to limit the spread of Covid, a Perspex screen had been fitted at the bar.

The screen was said to ‘cover the height of a person’ and was described as being ‘obvious’ due to its metal fixings.

The court heard that Smith spat in the direction of the custody security officer while standing around three feet away from the screen.

(Image: Newsquest)

In his evidence, the police officer said: “It struck the screen at eye level.

“Myself and my colleague thereafter had to take action.

“Due to the officer safety issue, I applied a spit hood to stop her doing anything further.

“She was placed in a holding cell. It was not suitable to ask her any more questions at that stage.”

The custody security officer described Smith’s conduct prior to the assault as ‘very abusive’.

He told the court: “If the Perspex hadn’t been there, it would have hit me in the face.”

Smith’s defence solicitor Paul Cook claimed there was no case to answer as the evidence heard ‘did not constitute an assault’.

Mr Cook said: “Ms Smith allegedly pulled her face mask down and spat at a Perspex screen, which we’ve heard is of some height and would have been obvious.”

Sheriff Thomas Ward responded: “What if it had been a bullet proof screen and she’d taken out a gun and fired it.

“Would you say that’s not an assault?”

Mr Cook replied: “I would submit that there would be no reasonable prospect of any spittle hitting him.”

Fiscal depute Decla O’Connor maintained that Smith’s actions did constitute an assault, highlighting that the incident took place relatively early on in the pandemic.

Sheriff Ward refused Mr Cook’s motion, finding Smith guilty of the charge.

She was jailed for 60 days, backdated to when she was remanded in custody in relation to this case in July.