Here is your round-up of some of the cases heard by magistrates in north Essex over the past week.

  • A MAN who assaulted a police officer has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

Luke Moncur, 21, assaulted the officer in Jaywick on March 20.

Appearing at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on June 21, he admitted one charge of assaulting an emergency service worker.

Moncur, of Glebe Way, Jaywick, was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and pay prosecution costs of £105.

  • A CARELESS driver who narrowly avoided oncoming traffic has been hit with a hefty fine.

Viktor Mirosnikov, 30, drove his Honda Civic in Ipswich Road, Colchester, in March, without due care and attention.

Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard he overtook vehicles, narrowly missing oncoming traffic before almost hitting a bollard.

Mirosnikov, of Holm Oak, Colchester, admitted driving without due care and attention and was fined £300 and his driving licence was endorsed with six penalty points.

  • A MAN who announced he had Hepatitis C before spitting on a police officer has narrowly avoided an immediate prison sentence.

Christopher Male, 54, launched the disgusting attack on an officer in Clacton in July 2020.

Appearing at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on June 21 this year, he admitted one charge of assaulting a police officer.

The court heard the offence was made more serious by the act of spitting at an officer during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, after indicating he had Hepatitis C.

Male, of Beach Road, Clacton, was sentenced to 16 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

He was ordered to pay compensation to the officer of £100 and a £128 victim surcharge.

  • A BURGLAR has admitted raiding a shed after he was found to be carrying a set of bolt croppers.

Matthew Herridge, 49, carried out the burglary in Colchester in May 2019.

Appearing at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on June 21, he admitted he committed the offences in breach of a suspended prison sentence order.

He also admitted burglary and going equipped for burglary.

Herridge, of Mersea Road, Colchester, will be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on July 26.