Disgusting would-be moped robber spat blood at officer at Wakefield station
A drug addict spat blood at an officer after he tried to wrestle a moped from its owner during a town-centre robbery attempt.
Gareth Barker admitted charges of attempted robbery and assault of an emergency worker and was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court this week.
Desperate Barker and another man had approached a male pushing his moped along Carlton Street in Castleford at around 7pm on January 5, 2023.
They asked him if he had any drugs, but when he told them he didn’t, they demanded he go to an ATM and withdraw money.
He offered them £5 in the hope they would leave him alone, but they then tried to grab his bike.
The victim fought back despite threats to hit him. They kicked the moped, and smashed its light, but they fled empty handed as the police arrived.
Barker, 39, was arrested around an hour later and taken to Normanton Police Station.
He became abusive and spat a mix of blood and saliva towards an officer which hit his leg.
Barker, of Balby Road, Doncaster, has 10 previous convictions for 22 offences, including attempted burglaries and shoplifting.
No mitigation was offered on Barker’s behalf after Judge Ray Singh said he would not jail him.
He said that Barker was “showing some level of commitment” to conquering his drug problems.
He gave him a 13-month sentence, suspended for 24 months, with 20 rehabilitation days to complete and a 120-day alcohol-monitoring requirement.
He told him: “Take this opportunity with both hands. You know what happened to your co-defendant.”
Lewis Davidson-Bates, who had tried to take the moped from the victim with Barker, was given a 22-year sentence last year after he admitted a string of offences, including the attempted robbery.