A Fife man who was being taken to hospital after being assaulted at a nightclub opened the door of the ambulance as it was being driven at speed on the A92 and tried to get out.
A paramedic had to jump on to the drunk man to stop him falling out but when the ambulance was stopped he wandered on to the dual carriageway in the middle of the night, Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard.
Michael Ross, 28, of Navitie Park, Ballingry, admitted that on June 28 last year in an ambulance on a journey between Pilmuir Street, Dunfermline and the Victoria Hospital, Kirckcaldy, he assaulted, distracted and hindered paramedic Robert Skinner who was trying to provide him with assistance. He shouted, swore, refused to cooperate, repeatedly punched a bed, uttered threats of violence and opened a door of the moving ambulance which was being driven at speed, placing himself and others in danger of falling from it. He then left the ambulance and walked on the dual carriageway.
Depute fiscal Nicola Henderson said police had been called to a report of fighting at Johnson’s nightclub and spoke to Ross, who told them he had been in a “stramash” inside.
He had a one-inch cut under his eye and officers called for an ambulance to take him to hospital but at this point Ross became abusive. This behaviour continued when the ambulance arrived and five minutes into the journey Ross became “volatile”.
On the A92 he opened the side door to get out and the paramedic “dived on to the accused to try to stop him”.
On hearing the commotion, the driver stopped the vehicle. Ross then got out and walked on to the carriageway.
Defence solicitor Ian Beatson said his client had been assaulted at the club and the abuse had been targeted at the person who attacked him, rather than the emergency services staff.
He said Ross had been drinking and as a result thought the ambulance was stationary when he tried to leave it, not realising it was being driven at speed.
Sheriff Craig McSherry imposed a six-month restriction of liberty order.