LONDON (Reuters) - A man who spat in the face of Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was ordered on Thursday to carry out 80 hours unpaid work as a punishment.
Corbyn, who led Labour into the 2019 election which was won by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was cycling with his wife near his home in north London when he came across Gerald Dore, 56, who appeared to be about to cross the road, prosecutors said.
When Corbyn gestured for Dore to cross, he responded by uttering obscenities and as he got more animated, the politician asked him to leave. At this point, Dore spat in his face and verbally abused his wife, Laura Alvarez, and threatened her physically.
Dore admitted assault by beating for spitting at Corbyn and a public order offence. He was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to an 18-month community order, with 80 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay 150 pounds compensation to Corbyn and 100 pounds to Alvarez.
"At a time the country was reeling from the effects of COVID-19, Dore without provocation spat in the face of a prominent member of Parliament and during an expletive ridden onslaught, physically threatened Ms Alvarez," said Rob Hutchinson from the Crown Prosecution Service.