A man who grabbed a female carer’s face mask after screaming that he had Covid-19 was handed a six month jail sentence today (Wednesday).
Darren Moore appeared at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court, via videolink from his solicitor’s office, but District Judge Rosie Watters told the 46-year-old to present himself at court tomorrow (Thursday) to be taken to prison.
Moore, from Lime Grove in Lurgan, had earlier entered a guilty plea to a single count of common assault on May 19 this year.
A prosecuting lawyer told the court how Moore had run into his friend’s flat “screaming that he had Covid” before grabbing the female carer’s face mask.
Defence solicitor Kevin McCamley said Moore was drunk at the time and had “little recollection” of the incident but “he has asked probation and police to put forward his apologies to the injured party”.
“He doesn’t deserve a lot of sympathy,” said District Judge Watters.
“This is just a horrible disease and for anyone to say that they have it is horrible and to pull at the mask off a carer who was trying to give care in difficult circumstances….is a horrible, horrible incident,” declared the district judge.
She handed Moore a four month sentence for the assault and also activated two months of a suspended sentence which Moore was in breach of, to be served consecutively.
District Judge Watters ordered Moore to appear at court tomorrow to surrender himself to custody or to sign bail pending an appeal of her sentence.
