Norway jails man for threatening police with coronavirus
April 3, 2020 11:46 PM
A Norwegian court has sentenced a man to 75 days in prison for threatening to spit on a police officer while saying he had the coronavirus, police said Friday.
The man was convicted of violence and threats against officers and disturbing public order while drunk, Oslo police said.
The man, whose identity was not revealed, had tried to spit on a police officer last month in Oslo while uttering the word “corona.”
“It is in the court’s view a reckless act in a time with great uncertainty for many when it comes to the scope and seriousness of the pandemic,” the court said in a statement.
The perpetrator, who was sentenced to pay 2,000 Norwegian kroner ($188 or 175 euros) in legal costs, can appeal.
Norway has more than 5,200 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 44 deaths.