Karan Singh jailed for drug offences and for spitting at police officers


LONDON: A man has been jailed after he spat at police custody staff and lied about having Covid-19 because he was ‘angry.’ Karan Singh of Homestead Way, Croydon, pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court on Friday, 24 April to three counts of assault on an emergency worker, use of threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour to cause harassment/alarm/distress and possession of a class B drug (cannabis).

He was sentenced immediately afterwards to four months’ imprisonment. He was also sentenced to an additional four months’ imprisonment, to run consecutively, for being in breach of a suspended sentence – making his total sentence eight months.

Karan Singh jailed

According to Met information, on Saturday, 14 March, uniformed officers were on patrol when they spotted Singh sitting in a car in a driveway in Lower Addiscombe Road, Croydon. Officers recognised Singh as being disqualified from driving and so they approached the car and spoke to him.

Singh denied he was disqualified from driving and stated that he had been given his licence back. As officers were speaking to Singh, they noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from him and the vehicle. Officers asked him about the smell and he admitted smoking cannabis.

As one of the officers began explaining the grounds for a search under the Misuse of Drugs Act, Singh attempted to start the engine of the vehicle and make off from police.

Fortunately, the vehicle stalled and officers were able to detain him. Officers found a snap bag of cannabis in the driver’s foot well and Singh admitted to having cannabis for personal use.

Singh was arrested on suspicion of possession of a class B drug. Upon searching the car, a further nine bags were found. Singh was taken to a south London police station where he was verbally abusive to the interviewing officers.

Following the interview, Singh became aggressive and stated that he would not go back to his cell. He had to be physically taken back by a custody sergeant and PC, with a DC and Designated Detention Officer (DDO) also stepping in to support their colleagues.

Once at the cell door, Singh continued to struggle with the officers. The officers managed to get him into the cell and when the door was partially closed, Singh spat directly into the custody sergeant’s face. Some of the spit also hit the DDO’s lip and the DC’s cheek.