A 29-year-old man has been jailed for 12 weeks after deliberately spitting in a police officer’s face.

Essa Al-Dossary, of no fixed abode, was sentenced after appearing at Norwich Magistrates Court on Monday, June 22.

He pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting an emergency worker after an incident on Saturday, June 20.

Al-Dossary was sentenced to a total of 12 weeks in prison and ordered to pay £200 in compensation.

After the sentence, DC Stuart Sansbury, from Norwich CID, said: “Despite living in difficult times in which we are all socially aware of the dangers of Covid-19, officers from across Norfolk continue to put themselves in harm’s way in the line of duty.

“Al-Dossary’s actions of spitting directly into the face of an on-duty officer are completely abhorrent and unacceptable.

“Not only police officers, but NHS workers and firefighters, are doing their upmost to serve their communities and want nothing more than to return home safely.

“We hope this sentence is a warning to those that would seek to harm emergency workers, and that they will be held accountable for their actions.”