Belfast man who spat blood at PSNI officer avoids prison

A man who spat blood at a police officer while being taken to hospital for a broken jaw has avoided prison.

Paul Ferran, 47, of Dunmurry Lodge in Belfast appeared before the city's crown court on Friday.

He was handed a nine-month jail term, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to assaulting the officer and causing criminal damage to a police vehicle.

The judge said when someone spits at an officer a custodial sentence is normal.

The court heard that on 11 December 2022, Ferran spat blood over an officer and the police vehicle while being taken to hospital for urgent medical treatment.

Judge Gordon Kerr KC said police officers "must be able to carry out their duties without any fear of injury, damage or infection of themselves".

The original sentence of 15 months was reduced to nine both due to Ferran's lack of offences since 2011 and his guilty plea.

Judge Kerr told the court after examining Ferran's medical report, it was made clear he was being transported to hospital for "a serious fracture to his jaw in three different places".

It would have been expected then, the judge said, that the defendant would have to spit on a regular basis due to the blood in his mouth.

Despite pleading guilty to deliberately spitting blood on the officer, the judge said had Ferran not spit "he may well have had difficulty with his airways and his breathing".

"In those circumstances, and given the fact he has no recent convictions, I consider this an exceptional case," he said.

Judge Kerr then suspended the sentence for two years, but warned the defendant if he reoffends he will have to serve not only the nine-month sentence, but a potentially additional service for whatever brings him before the court again.