Woman who coughed on cancer patient gets 30 days in jail, report says

Nassau woman who coughed in face of cancer patient gets 30 days in jail

A woman was sentenced to 30 days in jail, followed by six months of probation after coughing on then threatening a cancer patient at a store in Jacksonville, Fla., a report says.

According to KPRC 2′s sister-station WJXT, the victim, Heather Sprague, told police that Debra Jo Hunter began scolding employees while trying to return an item she didn’t have in her possession.

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Sprague took out her phone and began recording the incident, then was approached by Hunter.

You can watch the viral video here.

“Do you really need this? What do you want to do - post it for you? How about that?” Hunter is heard saying while making obscene gestures. “I think I’ll get really close to you and cough on you then, how’s that?”

According to WJXT, Sprague, who described herself as a brain tumor patient, was wearing a mask at the time. She filed a police report four days later, saying she had not been feeling well since the incident.

In court, the judge said Hunter’s action “could’ve been a death sentence” for Sprague.

In addition to her 30-day sentence and six-month probation, Hunter was ordered to undergo anger management, a parenting skills class and pay a $500 fine, WJXT reports.


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