A 'BELLIGERENT' drunk care home worker who spat at a police officer in Worcester during the pandemic walked out of court with a fine.

Abdel Sahafi spat at the police officer during the Covid-19 pandemic, shouting 'I spit in your face!' during the ugly incident in the city's Broad Street.

However, the care home worker said he was the victim of an assault and police had not shown him enough 'empathy' after he was attacked.

The 50-year-old of The Moors, Worcester admitted the assault on the emergency worker (PC Bloor) acting in the execution of his functions and being drunk and disorderly in a public place when he appeared before city magistrates yesterday.

It was around 1am on Wednesday, June 9 when the incident occurred. The details were relayed to the defendant though a Moroccan Arabic interpreter who appeared over videolink.

Mark Hambling, prosecuting, said it was 12.55am when 'police are called to a location where a male is following a group of females'.

He added: "Police arrived five minutes later to see this gentleman arguing with a G4S money transportation worker and the gentleman is approached by PC Bloor. PC Bloor describes the gentleman in his statement as being belligerent and refusing to give his details before he walks away.

"Due to his erratic behaviour and his non-co-operation the gentleman is handcuffed. The other officer present believes him to be drunk. The gentleman turns at one point towards PC Bloor and states 'I spit in your face!' The officer moves away and the gentleman spits at the officer and narrowly misses him. Magistrates will be aware of the significance of the gentleman spitting towards a police officer who is performing his duty."

Sahafi has a previous conviction for harassment from 2015.

Belinda Ariss, defending, asked magistrates to give Sahafi credit for his guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity. Mrs Ariss said Sahafi had been out socialising that evening.

She told the court: "He had been out drinking and accepts he was drunk. He was alone and had not been talking to anyone else. On his way home he was assaulted by someone. He was pushed to the floor and suffered a cut and bruise to his left leg. Police were called by someone else. They arrived at the scene. He felt the police were not listening to the complaint he wanted to make. He tried to show them his injuries but he felt they weren't interested and, as a result, he became quite frustrated by their lack of empathy.

"He has no real recollection of any spitting or threatening to spit but he does not dispute what the officer said."

She explained that he worked in a care home, earning £200 to £300 per week.

Magistrates fined him £200 for the common assault on the police officer and made no separate penalty for the drunk and disorderly offence. They further ordered him to pay costs of £135 and a statutory victim surcharge of £34.