A MAN has been remanded in custody after he admitted to repeatedly telling police officers he had Covid-19.

Jayson Dodds had been arrested for brandishing a knife at an unknown male when he made the bogus claim while he was being taken to Livingston police station.

Dodds, 21, told officers he had contracted Covid-19 and also he wanted to self-harm as they travelled in a police van to the West Lothian station in June this year.

Dodds, from Musselburgh, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court via video link from Polmont YOI last Thursday to admit three charges.

Prosecutor Anna Chisholm told the court two witnesses had spotted Dodds “gesticulating with a group of six younger males” at South Clerk Street, Edinburgh.

Dodds was seen “squaring up” to one of the males and “goading him to fight” before pulling out a knife and brandishing it towards the man.

The fiscal depute said the younger man had “his hands up in shock or defence” and began walking backwards away from Dodds.

The witnesses heard Dodds shout, “Do you see this?” on two occasions and he was said to have been “trying to intimidate the other male”.

The witnesses were left “in a state of fear and alarm” and called 999 to report the incident which took place at around 8pm on June 24.

Officers raced to the scene and CCTV operators “caught the accused walking towards North Bridge” and he was quickly apprehended.

Dodds immediately admitted possessing the blade but told officers he was “a carpet fitter” and had a legitimate reason to be carrying the large black-handled knife.

He then turned violent towards the arresting officers and, as he was being taken to Livingston, he told them he wanted to self-harm by “biting his veins open”.

He then told police he was suffering from Covid-19 but was said to have “retracted” the comment fairly quickly.

Lawyer David Allan said there was no motion for bail and would reserve his mitigation to the sentencing hearing.

Sheriff Donald Corke deferred sentence to September and Dodds was remanded in custody.

Dodds pleaded guilty to shouting, swearing, acting in an aggressive manner, brandishing a knife and uttering threats to an unknown male at South Clerk Street, Edinburgh, on June 24 this year.

He also admitted possessing a knife and to uttering threats towards police officers, repeatedly threatening to self harm, and repeatedly claim he had Covid-19 on the same date.