A MAN who spat at a tram conductor has been jailed after he was traced through the conductor's 'spit kit'.
Alan Harvey's DNA was analysed by forensic experts after he spat on the NET employee during a dispute at the Forest tram stop on February 2.

It is the first time anyone has been prosecuted for the offence since the kits were put on NCT buses and NET trams.
Harvey, 26, of Clayfield Close, Bulwell, pleaded guilty to common assault at Nottingham Magistrates Court and was jailed for 30 days.

All 320 NCT buses and 15 NET trams have been equipped with spittle collection kits since 2007. The equipment – gloves, swabs and collection bags – enables crews to safely collect samples of saliva spat out by anti-social passengers.

The unique DNA signature of the saliva can be analysed by Notts Police's forensic labs and used to identify assailants whose DNA is already recorded on the national database.  This is what happened in the case of Harvey.

Joey Kwong, prosecuting, said that a dispute arose over Harvey's ticket when the conductor went to inspect it. When Harvey was asked to get off, he said: "I ain't paying and I ain't getting off."  After telling the driver about the situation, the conductor heard a 'snort' behind him and felt spittle hit the back of his neck. But when he turned around, Harvey had got off the tram.  The conductor then took a sample of the saliva. Harvey was arrested four months later.  Mr Kwong said Harvey could not have been identified without the analysis since the conductor had his back to him when he was spat at.

After the case, NET manager Helen Goulding said: "We are delighted that the spit kits used to collect DNA evidence have resulted in a successful prosecution, and will use them in the future to prosecute any passenger who behaves in this way."

Provision of the spit kits and arrangements for analysis by police forensic scientists were made possible by Respect for Transport, the on-going campaign to reduce real and perceived levels of crime and disorder on Nottingham's public transport network.

David Henson, defending in court, said that Harvey had not intended to spit at the conductor and most of his saliva had hit the inside of the driver's cab.

"This is not something he makes a habit of and he has no previous convictions for violence since his first court appearance in 1998," he said.  The defendant had made a late change of plea to guilty to the spitting charge. The magistrates told Harvey they had reduced his sentence from 60 days to 30 days because of this.

Source: Thisisnottingham.co.uk