31-year-old spat at police officer before smearing his jail cell with saliva and blood

A man who assaulted a police officer proceeded to spit on the walls of his cell before smearing them with blood.Jozef Sura, 31, of De Grey Road in Gaywood, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.He pleaded guilty to assault by beating of an emergency worker and causing criminal damage to property, while another charge of being drunk and disorderly in a public place was withdrawn.

Sura committed the offences in the early hours of the morning on December 12, shortly after being located by police on Norfolk Street in the town centre.He was slurring his words and was unsteady on his feet when officers arrived, and he was arrested a short time afterwards on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.Crown prosecutor Asif Akram told the court that Sura continued to be “abusive” towards the police, and was “getting in the face” of one constable.Despite being warned against doing so, Sura proceeded to spit at the officer, with the saliva landing on his right cheek.After being transported to custody, he continued to spit over the walls of his cell – and then began to smear blood over them.In mitigation, solicitor Ruth Johnson said this blood came from a cut Sura obtained while he was taken to the ground by officers during his arrest.“What I can tell you is that Mr Sura has confirmed to me that there were a number of people on Norfolk Street who were a little bit worse for wear,” she said.“He was trying to help the other group. It was at that time that the police arrived, and things went horribly wrong.“He accepts that he was difficult with the officer – he accepts that he spat at the police constable, and it hit him on the side of the face.”Magistrates handed Sura a number of financial penalties for his offences.He was fined £200, and will pay an £80 victim surcharge and £50 in court costs.He will also pay £50 in compensation to the constable he assaulted, as well as £137 to cover the cleaning costs of the cell.