A WREXHAM man has been handed an eight-month prison sentence for coughing on police officers while repeatedly shouting 'Covid' at them.

Nathan Robert Edwards, 31, of Australia Street, Ponciau, appeared via videolink at Mold Crown Court on Wednesday, January 12, charged with assault on an emergency worker.

The court heard how Edwards was a passenger in the car of Kelly Jane Humphreys, 31, of Savage Street, Ponicau, on November 19, 2020.

Humphreys was also at Mold Crown Court via videolink charged with dangerous driving.

The prosecution explained how, at 6.30pm the pair, along with two other passengers, had been travelling in Humphreys' Volkswagen Transporter in the Penrhyndeudraeth area of Gwynedd.

The car had been spotted by police officers heading towards Porthmadog in a dangerous manner. A stinger device was deployed in attempts to bring the car to a standstill, but it proceeded along on to Porthmadog High Street.

The court heard that, with flat tyres from the stingers, Humphreys overtook two vehicles and drove at 70mph in a 30mph zone, narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic and pedestrians in the process.

She eventually braked hard and mounted a pavement by a mini roundabout.

Humphreys then got out of the car and was 'aggressive' towards an officer at the scene, threatening to headbutt him and saying that she was going to 'slice him up'.

She was found to be over the alcohol limit and tested positive on a roadside drugs test.

The prosecution told of how Edwards, a passenger in the car, was 'heavily intoxicated'.

He was taken to Caernarfon Police Station to be interviewed and it was there that he kept removing his mask from his face, was shouting 'Covid' repeatedly and was coughing on police officers.

Edwards' defence barrister said that although it was an 'unpleasant offence', the defendant had been 'trying to deal with the fact his father was ill' at the time of the incident.

He added: "He has embarked on courses while in custody and has shown 'positivity and pride' in this and the fact that he has been clean from drugs for eight months. He wants to turn his life around for the sake of his new baby."

The court also heard that Humphreys had admitted to having 'gone off the rails' during the time of the incident, with a toxic relationship she had just come out of 'acting as a catalyst' for her offending according to her defence barrister.

In his closing remarks, judge Niclas Parry said of both Edwards and Humphreys: "Your offending was as selfish as it was appalling. Police officers are even more vulnerable during this time of national pandemic and those who disregard their welfare will receive an immediate custodial sentence."

Judge Parry sentenced Edwards to eight months in prison.

Humphreys received a 12-month sentence, suspended for 2 years. She is also disqualified from driving for two-and-a-half years and will have to do a re-test before she gets her licence back.

Judge Parry said Humphreys will also have to adhere to remain housebound between the hours of 7.30pm and 7.30am every night until May 12 of this year.