A mother has been ordered to pay compensation after she spat at a man in a wheelchair.
Jolene Bruce went up to Thomas Mortimore who was in his chair outside a High Street bank waiting for it to open in Exeter city centre at 9am one morning in July.
Prosecutor Karen Ball said Mr Mortimore recognised 33 year old Bruce from a 'previous argument between them'.
Bruce, of Arena Park, Exeter, Devon, started shouting and swearing at him and calling him a 'bastard' and telling him to stay away from her, said Mrs Ball.
She walked away but then made a sound of collecting spittle in her mouth before spitting at him.
Exeter magistrates heard the spittle landed on his right shoulder blade and Bruce fled the area.
When she was eventually arrested she said she did not recall spitting at him but 'might have done'.
Bruce admitted assault by beating and a number of shoplifting offences in Devon and Wiltshire.
Her lawyer James Calderbank said there was some 'ill feeling' between the victim and Bruce and her son but "she was not particularly proud of what she had done".
He said jailing Bruce would be 'harsh' but the JPs said her crimes had passed the custody threshold.
The court jailed her for a total of six weeks but suspended it for 12 months saying:"If you offend again you will go straight into custody."
Jobless Bruce was also ordered to pay Mr Mortimore £70 compensation as well as £77 compensation to shops she had stolen from.
