Man on drugs spat at police and paramedics who had been tasked with helping him

Kieran O'Hara, who had taken drugs, was lying slumped against a lift door in Netherwood Tower.

Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that he spat at his helpers while being taken into an ambulance. O'Hara, 25, a prisoner, appeared from custody via videolink.

He admitted assaulting two paramedics and a police officer by spitting at them on October 16 last year. Serial offender O'Hara was the subject of four separate bail orders at the time.

Neil Thomson, prosecuting, told the court: "Police were summoned to the tower block about 2.30am for an unconnected matter.Having dealt with that, they found O'Hara lying unconscious in the hallway, slumped against the lift entrance. It was apparent he was under the influence of something and they had difficulty rousing him."

Eventually O'Hara came round, but he began to scream and the police officers called for medical help.

Mr Thomson added: "Paramedics arrived and tried to help him, but they too had difficulty rousing him. As he was being lifted and carried towards the ambulance, O'Hara spat towards one of the paramedics, failing to make contact. Inside the ambulance he spat again, this time making contact with a second paramedic.

"Police officers tried to prevent further incidents and the accused spat at one of them. A spit hood was then placed on him."

Referring to the pandemic, the fiscal stressed: "No one suffered illness as a consequence but there was alarm and it was unpleasant for emergency workers.”

Defence agent Carly Macleod said O'Hara has had a "significant" problem with drugs since the age of 18. She added” He wishes to apologise for his actions.”

The court heard that O'Hara has been held in prison since his arrest in October.

Sheriff David Young said, because of that, he was willing to consider a drug treatment and testing order as an alternative to more jail time. He remanded O'Hara in custody until next month for a DTTO assessment and other reports