Former Chesterfield loanee James Hurst 'coughed in faces of police officers and told them he had Covid'

He signed for the Spiretes from West Brom in January 2012 until the end of the season when he was 19 and started the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final win against Swindon Town at Wembley.

The defender, now 28, admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner towards the officers during the incident in Glasgow in April.

The incident apparently started when Hurst contacted the police claiming to be the victim of domestic abuse, according to the BBC.

The ex-England youth international later claimed the issue had been sorted but officers then became aware of a “possible outstanding warrant” against him.

It was at this point that Hurst started swearing at the officers and he was arrested.

According to the BBC, prosecutor Mark Allen said Hurst told officers: “I've got Covid. I'm going to cough and spit all over you.

"At that point, he began to cough in the faces of both officers as they were placing handcuffs on him.

"As he did this, he shouted: 'Have that.'”

Hurst apparently continued to threaten to spit and cough on the officers and said: "You are not the law, you are civilians in uniform, Queen's country rules, you live in Scottish slums, I am superior."

Hurst has been remanded in custody and sentencing will take place at the end of the month.