Man jailed for spitting at rail staff after claiming he had Coronavirus - Plymouth

A man who spat at two members of rail staff at Plymouth railway station after claiming he had Coronavirus, has been jailed for a total of 16 weeks, following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

Ahmed Abdalla, 34, and of Margaret Crescent, Cornwall, was found guilty of two counts of common assault and a section 4a public order offence at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on 11 February.

At Wednesday 10 February at around 9:00am, Abdalla was asked by a member of rail staff to provide a ticket and was challenged for not wearing a face covering while travelling on a service towards Plymouth. Abdalla became aggressive and began swearing and shouting at the member of staff.

The member of staff called BTP, and officers met the train at Plymouth. After being told by officers that he would need to leave the train if he didn’t purchase a ticket, Abdalla shouted “I have coronavirus”.

Abdalla became increasingly aggressive and spat towards the member of rail staff who was assisting police on the train. Officers restrained and removed Abdalla from the train, who then went on to spit towards another member of rail staff on the platform.

Abdalla was arrested and remanded in custody until his appearance in court.

BTP Temporary Sergeant Pete Cosgrove said: “Violent behaviour towards members of rail staff will absolutely not be tolerated under any circumstances.

“Nobody should be afraid of being assaulted at work, especially in such a disgusting manner.

“I am grateful to the courts for the sentence imposed on the defendant and hope it serves as a strong reminder that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated on the railway.

If you experience any issues on public transport, contact BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 at any time. If you’re in immediate danger, always call 999.