Drunken man kicked paramedic in the face

As Peter Williams' brother tried to hold him down as they travelled in an ambulance, he lashed out, telling paramedic Matthew Hooper, "I am going to kill you".

Mr Hooper suffered a bruised nose and face and at Bolton Crown Court 40-year-old Williams stood in the dock and apologised as he was sentenced for assaulting an emergency worker.

Bob Sastry, prosecuting, told how police were called to an address in Albert Road, Bolton, at 2am on July 6 last year after reports of a man attempting to jump from a window.

"They found the defendant in one of the the bedrooms. He was heavily intoxicated," said Mr Sastry.

Attempts to get Williams to speak on the phone to mental health workers failed and an ambulance was called.

"The defendant agreed to go to hospital in the ambulance, was accompanied by his brother and was then put onto a stretcher," said Mr Sastry.

But a couple of minutes into the journey to the Royal Bolton Hospital Williams became aggressive towards his brother and began to lash out.

"His brother attempted to assist by restraining Mr Williams and whilst Mr Hooper also tried to calm him down he began to kick him in the face," said Mr Sastry.

Mr Hooper activated his alarm beacon and police arrived to place Williams in handcuffs and arrest him.

In a statement read out in court Mr Hooper said: "I do not come to work to be assaulted, I come to work to help people and I attended the incident with the intention of helping Peter only to be assaulted by him.

"I could have been helping seriously sick patients. Instead I was sent to help Peter and he responded by assaulting me. This kind of thing makes me not want to come to work."

When questioned by police Williams said he had a poor memory of what happened.

"He accepted that at the time he was distressed and indicated that he had had a lot of difficulties in terms of his mental health following a marital break down," said Mr Sastry.

Williams, of Higher Shady Lane, Bromley Cross, pleaded guilty to carrying out the attack and was said to be "mortified" by what he had done.

Mark Friend, defending, said Williams, who had no previous convictions, is remorseful.

Judge Timothy Stead commented that "through very heavy, self-induced intoxication he completely lost control of himself".

But the court heard that Williams has since gone to live with his parents and is receiving help for his substance misuse.

He was sentenced to seven months in prison, suspended for two years and ordered to participate in six months of an alcohol treatment programme plus 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

Williams must also pay £750 towards prosecution costs and £750 in compensation to Mr Hooper.

Judge Stead told Williams: "Violence is always deplorable, violence under self-induced heavy intoxication the more so.

"But above all attacks upon people doing a public service and trying to help you, of all things, is something which people regard as outrageous.

"Of course you wouldn't have done this sort of thing sober and it is right to say you had a number of quite significant personal problems underlying your condition at the time but from the point of view of the general public and Mr Hooper that comes as scant consolation."