'Disgusting' violent prisoner spat at four police officers while handcuffed to a hospital bed as he was receiving treatment for an infection

Jerome Foley hurled foul mouthed abuse and kicked out at officers after he was taken from custody to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield to be treated for a leg infection.

Leeds Crown Court heard Foley carried out the offending in February this year, eight days after being released from jail.

Phillip Standfast, prosecuting, said Foley was arrested soon after being released from custody on suspicion of committing further offences.

He was taken into police custody but moved to hospital under supervision on February 16.

The 29-year-old became violent when his partner was asked to leave the hospital.

Mr Standfast said Foley told officers he was a professional boxer and threatened to knock one of them out.

He spat in the face of one officer before being restrained and handcuffed to the side rail of his bed.

He then called a female officer a 's***' and spat in her eye.

Mr Standfast said the officer was shocked and distressed by the attack and was frightened about the risk of infection.

Foley later spat in the eye of another female officer.

He spat a fourth officer and threatened to "sort him out."

Mr Standfast said that while at the hospital Foley repeatedly asked for his sheets to be changed or to for his shirt to be changed.

He changed his mind after being told he would have to remain handcuffed to the bed.

The defendant also threw a plate at an officer and said he would 'make the rules'.

The court heard Foley also breached a restraining order by contacting his former partner from custody.

Foley was made the subject of the order in 2016 after allegations that he had been violent towards the woman.

He breached the order in December last year by replying to an e-mail the woman had sent to him while he was at HMP Stoke Heath, in Shropshire.

Foley breach the order for a second time on January 10 by contacting her by phone.

The defendant rang his sister but the call was diverted to his former partner.

He was recorded telling the woman that he was a "reformed character" and wanted to get back into a relationship with her.

Foley has a history of escaping from custody while in hospital.

In 2014 he managed to escape from his guards while at St James' Hospital in LeedsFoley was on remand at HMP Leeds at the time for an alleged offence of domestic violence.

Foley, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to four counts of assaulting an emergency worker and two of breaching a restraining order.

Marcus Waite, mitigating, said Foley accepted that his behaviour towards the police officers was unacceptable.

Mr Waite said Foley and his former partner intended to rekindle their relationship when is released from custody.

Jailing Foley for 12 months, Judge Penelope Belcher said: "This was nasty, unpleasant, sustained spitting at officers.

"It was thoroughly disgusting and obviously carried the risk of infection.

"I recognise that Covid was not in the forefront of the public mind but there is a risk of any infection when people are spat at.

"This was deliberate spitting and it was thoroughly unpleasant."