An Inverness man spat at a medic who was trying to help him, a court has heard

A MAN spat at an ambulance medic who had been called to an Inverness store to help him.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told that Ross Grant (35), of Bruce Gardens, Inverness, was heavily intoxicated and lying on the floor of B&M in Telford Retail Park on February 11 last year.

But when ambulance staff tried to escort him into their vehicle he became aggressive, fiscal depute Martina Eastwood told Sheriff Sara Matheson.

“He was challenged about his behaviour and he spat at one of the technicians,” she said. “It landed on her shoe.”

Sentence had been deferred for a background report.

Defence solicitor Willie Young said: “At the time of the offence he was deeply upset about a family matter and he took considerable quantities of alcohol on top of prescribed medication.

“As a consequence he has little recollection of that day. But he is appalled by that conduct and doesn’t recognise it is something that he would do. He is ashamed of his behaviour, which was out of character, and wants to apologise.”

Ordering Grant to carry out 192 hours of unpaid work, Sheriff Matheson told him: “I am also appalled by your behaviour. There you are lying paralytic on the floor of B&M and you spit on the person who came to help you.”

She warned Grant, who admitted assault, that he would be jailed if he did not complete the order.