Chichester man jailed after spitting and racially abusing police officers

Rory McGrail, 38, of Longley Road has been given prison sentences totalling one year, including 14 weeks for assaulting and racially abusing police officers in Chichester.

Police attended Eastgate Square around 9.30am on 9 April to arrest McGrail for failing to comply with the community requirements of a suspended sentence.

During the arrest, McGrail spat at a police officer and claimed he was infected with Covid-19.

He used racially abusive language towards another police officer.

Chief Inspector Jon Carter said; "This man deliberately sought to cause distress to our officers, working in the front line of emergency services to protect everyone in the local community and it is good to know that despicable offending of this type is taken seriously by the courts."

At Brighton Magistrates Court on 12 May he pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and to racially aggravated public disorder and was given a total of 14 weeks imprisonment for those offences.

He was also given a 34-week sentence for an arson committed at a hostel in the city in March 2019, for which he had been given a suspended sentence last year, and a further four months for shoplifting offences in the city earlier this year.

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