Man who ‘flicked skin’ and spat at emergency workers to ‘infect’ them is jailed

A man who assaulted emergency workers as they were trying to help him has been sent to prison.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Carl Nicholson, of no fixed address, appeared before Brighton Magistrate’s Court on Monday (April 27).

Sussex Police say he was jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to:

- three counts of assaulting emergency workers

Carl Nicholson SUS-200105-152251001Carl Nicholson SUS-200105-152251001
Carl Nicholson SUS-200105-152251001

- assault by beating of an emergency worker

- assault by beating

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

- two counts of using racially aggravated words to cause alarm and distress

- and using threatening abusive words and behaviour with intent to cause alarm and fear

The court heard the 51-year-old was aggressive and threatening towards a PCSO who found him in Preston Street, Brighton, on Friday (24 April) following reports he had been injured during an altercation in nearby Western Road.

When the officer and two security officers told Nicholson an ambulance had been called so he could have medical treatment for a cut to his head, he swore and shouted at them and refused to co-operate, said Sussex Police.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

According to police, he then shoved one of the security officers in the chest and, when a police officer arrived to arrest him, he grabbed her and tried to head butt her.

Sussex Police said he then ‘flicked body skin towards the PCSO saying he had scabies’ and told her he was going to infect her with it.

Nicholson, who was still resisting officers, was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital to be checked over by medical staff for the injury to his head.

A spokesperson for the force said, “After receiving treatment, while being escorted in a prison van back to custody, he told another police officer that he had HIV and spat at him and then tried to head butt him.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“He then kicked a police sergeant and made racist comments towards the officer he had spat on.”

Nicholson was told by the magistrates he was given a 12-month custodial sentence because they were serious offences committed in public during a pandemic on a number of emergency workers and a security guard taking them away from other duties.

Brighton and Hove Superintendent Rachel Swinney said: “Our officers, staff and other security guard workers should not have to deal with being assaulted while carrying out their duties to protect the public.

“In this case they were actually trying to get help for a man who had been injured. Instead they were faced with violence, abuse and the threat of contamination. which was despicable and obviously distressing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We hope this conviction goes to show that any such behaviour will not be tolerated.”

Read More
Mystery of missing Saltdean teenager Owen Harding

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.