A drunk man who fell off a bar stool in a pub and struck his head assaulted an ambulance technician trying to help him.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard Neil Clark, of Loons Road, was taken to A&E at Ninewells by ambulance but on arrival he committed the assault.
Fiscal depute Marie Irvine said Clark, 56, had been in the Ancrum Arms in Logie Street at around 9.45pm on Boxing Day when he fell off a stool and sustained a head injury. She said he was heavily under the influence of alcohol.
An ambulance was called and he was taken to Ninewells where he became confrontational towards staff who said he was “looking for an argument”.
The court heard he was swearing at them and was asked to stop, but he became defensive.
The fiscal added he was lying on a trolley and when ambulance technician Andrew Hayman attended to him the accused suddenly sat up and “lunged at him” before butting “him on the lip.”
Police attended and found him to be confrontational, but he continued his behaviour and he was restrained and handcuffed.
The fiscal added: “He was asked if he had anything sharp in his pockets and he responded by saying he had a blade and was going to ‘stick’ the police officer.”
He then butted the police van and shouted and swore at officers.
Solicitor Jim Caird said Clark was “deeply ashamed” of his behaviour and said he had consumed “far more than he would normally drink and can’t recall much of what happened.”
Clark admitted that on December 26, at A&E, Ninewells, he assaulted Andrew Hayman, an ambulance technician, by butting him on the head to his injury.
He further admitted that at A&E, in the car park at Ninewells and in a police vehicle en route to Police HQ in Bell Street, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner.
Sheriff Derek Reekie told Clark he would have to call for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment, adding: “It’s horrific that ambulance workers have to face this sort of behaviour and police officers going about their duty have to put up with such actions.”
Sentence was deferred until January 24 and Clark was granted bail.
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