30-year-old Riko Baber has today (Tuesday) been jailed for 6 months after coughing at 4 Police officers and telling them he would infect them with COVID-19.
Police responded to a disturbance at an address in Manor Crescent, Newport at just after 17:00 yesterday (Monday) which led to Baber being arrested.
Having placed him in the back of a police van, Baber began spitting in the cell. Then, when he arrived at custody, started coughing at officers as they tried to remove him from the vehicle. In total, he coughed numerous times at 4 officers, also kicking 2 of them.
Baber, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to 3 counts of common assault of an emergency worker, 1 of assault by beating of an emergency worker, using threatening or abusive words or behaviour and criminal damage when he appeared before the Isle of Wight Maigstrates Court this morning.
He also pleaded guilty to a further count of criminal damage and 2 more counts of using threatening or abusive words or language in relation to an incident on 26th March.
The court heard that on 26th March, Baber forced entry to Grove House Surgery in Ventnor and was aggressive to staff members who were trying to assist patients on the phone.
Assistant Chief Constable Scott Chilton said:
“We are in the midst of a national health emergency and my officers are doing everything they can to limit the spread of infection, protect their NHS colleagues and help save lives.
Article continues below this advertisement “It is completely unacceptable that people are using this virus as a weapon in these extremely challenging times. Not only is this vile behaviour, but it causes a huge personal impact on those officers and their families too.
“This sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks it is acceptable to cough and spit at police officers, or anyone else responding to this crisis. You will be arrested and you will face the consequences of your actions.”
6 years would have Been better to fit the crime
What a lump of human excrement, where was it dragged up? It should be 16 years, not six months.
Another ‘homeless’ charity case. Police ought to have used to truncheon and beat it’s teeth down its throat. A more ‘lasting’ reminder than being given a place to sleep with equally low life rubbish until release.
Kindness is seen as weakness by such.
Still ‘see’ homeless as victims, then if so, YOU take them in, show them kindness as you will soon realise they haven’t for the most part, ‘slipped through the net’ but slashed and torn it themselves.
Time to halt this attitude of giving the benefit of the doubt to all, in case ‘one or two’ are victims, best to see them all as low life and with scrutiny the decent will be easy to help, the rest best left imo.
i think what baber did is dispicabal and deserves what he gets.. but you atitude Knighton is discusting you want to hope that you never fall from you perch as homelesnes can happen to any one it dose not make you scum. ahhh
Sure I saw him picking up ammonites from a fallen cliff, let’s hang him knighton
6mths the dirty low life should of got 6 yrs scum bag
Yet the homeless in Sandown can cough all they want near members of the public walking their dogs, and nothing happens to them.
Good. I hope he stays in for the full 6 months, which to be honest is not long enough.
Swift justice!
What is wrong with these people!!! The police have enough to deal with at the moment . VIle behaviour
Put him in prison, throw the key away and when he gets the virus he can cough, cry, gasp for air all on his own in his prison cell. I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes in prison.
He will no doubt be seen as a hero in prison…
What a crying shame we have vile individuals such as him in this world. Feel sorry for our police officers who have to encounter people like him. Prison officers watch out, you have a prize one a_____e coming your way. Don’t you just wish you could wave a magic wand and scummy people like him would disappear
Trust me – if that were possible then prison officers would soon be redundant as there would only be around three prisoners per prison.
Should have been 6 year hard labour waste of space, time, and man power for one f@@@ing idiot
Throw him on one of the disused forts for 6 months with 3 months of army rations and leave him to it. Wasted too much money on him as it is.
Another waste of space lowlife who the libtards will probably make all kinds of excuses for.
Do the world a favour and just get rid of this sort of scum. Permanently!
Where is the spit hood
Filthy person deserves more prison time than given.
Export him to mainland prison never to return, we don’t want or need this cretin over here or Nab Tower with no provisions!
Beachy Head…..with a gentle nudge would be better. Utter scum.
I agreed with all your comments on here with this one . I think fred had it right, why waste more money on scum like this . It costs the tax payer, £1000 a week to keep him locked up. So £24,000 for what? Him to only commit more crime,hurt more people. Theres only one way to sort this type out , hard justice .
Would have put him down !!!! waste of space and our money .
Talk about getting off lightly
If it were a dog it would have been put down.
What’s the difference????
Hope someone coughs on him
Best thing above all else would be to totally and utterly take away every single type of benefit he ever receives and when he leaves prison get him on his hands and knees scrubbing up all the dirty spit and chewing gum dross that defiles our streets…….whilst wearing a gag or mask.
Dirty scum bastard hope he gets hard time in jail
Unfortunately the Island is accumulating more and more of this type of scum.
We should blame the council for accepting more dregs in return for money from other areas.
It’s been getting worse for decades. A long time back in the 80s I was told I was stupid for not being on benefits, One girl boasting about how all her friends were getting themselves pregnant because then the councils “can’t do enough for you”, her words, She couldn’t believe the amount of help there was for them, given somewhere to live, benefits to live on, which they spent enjoying themselves according to her whilst leaving the kids with other members of their family to bring up while they were going out drinking and having “fun”. As she put it back then, “they’ve got it made”.
Since then, the offspring of their offspring have added to the problem so much that we are swamped with them, you can’t get away from then now as they are everywhere,, they have infiltrated everywhere.
So glad my son is away from you all ,bunch of scrummy druggies ,hope the corona takes all you dealers and druggies off this earth ,and cleanse it for my grandchildren,
Is that a local Isle of wight name.