A DRUNK woman shouted “I’ve got corona” before disgustingly coughing in the face of a police officer.

Emma Clements was arrested after a disturbance in Clacton in July and was taken to Colchester police station.

While being booked into custody, Clements said: “I’ve got corona - I got tested.

“I am supposed to be isolating for two weeks.”

After her proclamation she then turned and coughed at an officer standing nearby.

Clements had been boozing before the incident and had no recollection of what happened.

She was shown CCTV and said she was ashamed and disgusted about what she had done.

The 28-year-old admitted assaulting an emergency worker at Colchester Magistrates’ Court.

The officer described what happened to her as “vile”.

She said: “I was appalled to be assaulted while on duty.

“It was vile assault - I was doing my duty at the time and do not expect to be coughed at.

“I have worked throughout the pandemic putting myself and my family at a higher risk of contracting the virus.

“This sort of thing should not be tolerated.”

Raph Piggott, mitigating, said Clements, of Singer Avenue, Jaywick, was drinking heavily at the time because of problems in her personal life.

“She was arrested on another matter which ended up with police taking no further action,” he said.

“There was no memory at all until the next day and she was devastated at what she had done and asked for an apology to be given to the officer from her.”

Magistrates’ adjourned sentencing until November 11 for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.