Man pleads guilty to assaulting Prof Chris Whitty

Jul 30, 2021

A man has pleaded guilty to assaulting England’s chief medical officer.

Lewis Hughes, 24, of Romford, Essex, accosted Professor Chris Whitty in St James’s Park in London on 27 June.

He pleaded guilty to assault at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday and will be sentenced later in the afternoon.

A second man Jonathan Chew, 24, denied the same charge in relation to the incident.

Chew, who wore a navy hoodie for the appearance, also pleaded not guilty to wilfully obstructing police constable Steven Ozden.

He was granted bail and was asked to appear at the same court on 23 November for a trial.

Kalsoom Shah, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said Hughes showed “little regard” for Prof Whitty or social distancing rules “when he accosted the government’s chief medical officer in the street”.

“His behaviour was both shocking and disgraceful,” he added.

It comes after the Metropolitan Police force launched an investigation into last month’s incident.

At the time, officers carried out a welfare check on the chief medical officer, who did not suffer any injuries.

Footage of the incident, lasting around 20 seconds, was widely shared on social media.

A previous statement from the Metropolitan Police said: “At approximately 19:20hrs on Sunday, 27 June officers in St James’s Park became aware of a man being accosted by a group of men. They spoke to the victim and checked his welfare. He had not suffered any injuries.

“Officers subsequently reviewed video footage which emerged after the incident and the matter was referred to the Public Order Crime Team. Enquiries continue.”

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