8 Apr 2020

Man arrested for spitting at shop worker after multiple lockdown breaches

3:36 pm on 8 April 2020

A Dunedin man has been arrested for spitting at a shop worker.

His arrest comes after multiple breaches of the level four restrictions.

Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen said the 51-year-old man was seen wandering around Dunedin yesterday and warned multiple times by police to go home.

Dinnissen said officers were then called to a shop in the suburb of Brockville, where the man had been abusive to staff before spitting on a countertop.

The man was charged with assault and obstructing a medical officer of health.

Dinnissen said officers arrested two others for breaches of the lockdown yesterday.

Speaking at a media conference this afternoon, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said spitting had become an increasing risk to police, public, and health staff.

He said police have had to isolate 8 staff members after they have been spat at by people who claim to be unwell or infected with Covid-19, and this was punishable by up to 14 years in prison.