A woman recently pleaded guilty to spitting and abusing a Waitrose worker in November 2020, and has been fined for it.
According to Public, a video of Lesley Grilli attacking the saleswoman had gone viral, and it showed her shouting “you are dead” to the employee. Grilli faced court Monday after the video that was taken in Clapham Common, London, surfaced. In the video, Grilli, dressed in a white coat and black boots, could be heard abusing a worker standing behind the cash register, reported Mirror. She looked agitated at not being able to buy her items. Then she walked around to the corner of the counter and spat at the worker. The saliva landed on the plastic cover in place due to coronavirus restrictions.
The incident that was witnessed by several people, took place on Nov. 21, 2020 inside Waitrose. Grilli shouted at the employee saying that she got "f***ing money in my account, you're gonna decline me?" She told the Waitrose staff member, "You're gonna die, you're dead, you're dead." The employee tried to calm her down and explain the situation, but she continued her verbal tirade.
In the footage of the incident, a security guard could be heard calling cops. Then an older, female worker, was seen approaching the woman to get her out of the store. Grilli, who didn’t wear a mask at the time, walked towards the exit. Then she took her anger out on the Christmas tree display by kicking it. She said, "F***ing Christmas trees." She repeated that she had money in her account, "you gonna decline me you motherf***ing c***s."
To assist during the heated exchange, a man who was standing outside the store jumped in and got the furious woman out of the shop. As for the female staff worker, she later came over to put the Christmas display together again and said, "How lovely. Great British Public."
The employee who was attacked told reporters at the time that the woman had tried to buy items but was swearing at him. When he asked her not to use foul language, she started verbally abusing him.
Initially Grilli pleaded not guilty, but in the latest court appearance she changed her plea to guilty. Grilli, who also has a previous conviction of criminal damage from 2017, was sentenced under a section of the Public Order Act, which included both abusive and spitting phrasing. She was handed a 150 pounds ($199.58) general fine, 350 pounds ($465.70) fine for costs, 34 pounds ($45.24) victim surcharge and ordered to pay the victim 100 pounds ($132.98) compensation.
