A former British serviceman has been sentenced to a total of 33 weeks imprisonment after spitting at a police officer and breaching a suspended sentence order for two previous convictions.

Shamar Said, 37, of Somerset Street, Redcliffe, appeared at Bristol Crown Court this morning (May 1) after pleading guilty to the assault of an emergency worker on February 9, 2019, outside the Wills Memorial Building.

Passing officers on patrol had noticed Said repeatedly hitting his elbows against a lamppost outside the building and decided to drive around Clifton Triangle in order to return and speak to him, Susan Cavender - prosecuting on behalf of the Crown - told the court.

By the time they had made it back to him he was seen to be lying on the ground with blood on his face, having 'clearly sustained some form of facial injury', with another man, who is not being prosecuted, standing over him.


After seeing the police officers exiting the car, both men ran away and police gave chase. Following a short pursuit, a female police officer caught up with Said and managed to grab him by the elbow as her fellow officer continued to follow the other man.

As the officer grabbed Said's elbow, he turned to her and spat in her face.

Ms Cavender described how "as well as instantly feeling the spittle hit her face, she was immediately aware of a strong stench of garlic and she realised that the blood had landed on her face."

Bristol Crown Court

Said was arrested and taken into custody, where he told officers that he was 'a drunk' with no recollection of what had happened during the incident with the other man and could only assume that he had been involved in a fight.

The court heard how Said had previously been convicted of two offences, the first of which was carrying a bladed article in July 2016. The second incident occurred in April 2018, when he was seen brandishing an axe as he walked along East Street Bedminster.

A number of concerned members of the public contacted police after witnessing him hitting himself in each shoulder with the axe, bought just 20 minutes before hand and swinging the tool around as he wandered.


At the time, Said told police - who had to taser him in order to force him to drop the axe - that he had injured himself because he was 'angry' with himself, believed it would 'make him stronger' and was carrying out the gruesome act 'for his health.'

Mitigating barrister Farah Rashid told the court how Said had lived in the UK for more than 12 years, and had served with the British army in Iraq. He is known to suffer with severe mental health problems, and had previously attempted to take himself off of prescribed medication.

Ms Rashid said: "Mr Said now accepts that he must take his prescribed medication in order to control the symptoms of his mental health problems, and has been engaging with a mental health team.

"He has accepted that he may go to prison today, however my personal opinion is that he doesn't understand prison in so far as he doesn't understand what happens in prison.

Bristol Crown Court
Bristol Crown Court

"I have no doubt that his health will deteriorate to a certain extent within prison."

Presiding over the sentencing, His Honour Judge Longman stated that whilst he understood the implications for Said's severe mental health concerns, the nature of the offences and the breach of a suspended sentence order meant that 'immediate custody can be the only option'.


He said: "This was an assault because of the level of repulsion the emergency worker must have felt, not to mention the tests that she subsequently had to undertake to see if she had been exposed to infection.

"The fact is that this was a disgusting assault, despite it being short lived and causing a physical injury."

Judge Longman informed Said that his sentence of 33 weeks imprisonment, of which he will serve half, would begin immediately, and stated that victim surcharge would be applied.

An application had been submitted for compensation for the cost of the police vest, which had been destroyed following the assault, however due to Said's inability to pay the sum it was ruled that this would not be enforced.