#jailed Woman Who Spat in Officer’s Face

A woman who spat in a police officer’s face as she tried to help her has been jailed for 24 weeks.

Ria Evans, 41, of Rhydyfelin, had had become aggressive and started threatening other patients after being told she would have to wait for treatment at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant on 5th June (2022).

She was escorted out by hospital security staff who called 999 after the woman continued to remonstrate with them outside.

Officers arrived, and when a female police officer approached Evans to try to calm her down, she spat in the officer’s face.

She was arrested, charged and went on to plead guilty to assaulting a police officer.

On Tuesday, June 7th, she was jailed for 24 weeks at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.

Superintendent Matt Codd, said: “Assaulting an officer who is trying to carry out their duties – in this instance offering to try to help the woman involved – won’t be tolerated.

“Assaults on police officers and frontline staff have a significant impact on individuals both physically and psychologically.

“Whilst the nature of policing is such that it requires officers to handle difficult and hostile situations, assaults upon them are serious matters and wholly unacceptable.

“This is a priority for us – we are committed to preventing and decreasing the number of assaults on our staff and an effective way of achieving this is to ensure perpetrators of assaults on police, without fail, are arrested, charged and put before the courts