Community service for man who attacked paramedic

Emergency airlift after dramatic change in drug the accused took

A MAN, who lost the plot after taking an unspecified drug and attacked a paramedic attempting to treat him, escaped a jail sentence today. Paul Robertson’s bizarre behaviour was condemned by a sheriff who warned that had the accused's record been of any consequence, custody would have been “highly likely”.
The court heard previously how Robertson’s health deteriorated dramatically, after he took the drug. His temperature soared and the situation became so serious, that he was airlifted to an intensive care unit in Paisley where he subsequently made a recovery.
Robertson admitted threatening or abusive conduct at his home at 40 Sweyn Road, Thurso, on August 26, and assaulting, obstructing or hindering a paramedic.
David Barclay, prosecuting, described it as “a strange case”. The 30-year-old accused had for some time been taking legal highs and whatever he had consumed on this occasion, it appeared to have “reacted badly on him”.
Robertson, 30, began shouting and swearing and knocked furniture over, causing considerable damage.
His partner became concerned and a neighbour, who heard the rumpus, contacted the police.
Mr Barclay said that officers were confronted with a scene of “utter destruction” and noted that Robertson was clearly “under the influence of something”. The fiscal depute continued: “The police were very concerned about the accused’s temperature. He was extremely hot and they tried to get towels to cool him down, while the continued to act in an erratic manner.”
After being put into an ambulance, Robertson struggled with paramedics trying to treat his condition and spat blood in the face of one of them, Scott Falconer.
Mr Barclay continued: “The paramedics were desperately trying to help him, because he was in a bad way. His temperature was found to be 41.5 degrees Celsius and they were trying to cut his clothes off as part of their efforts to cool him down. It was obvious to them, that the symptoms were consistent with the accused having taken some form of substance”.
Robertson was treated for his abnormally high fever in an active cooling procedure and before being transferred to Paisley’s Royal Alexandria Hospital.
Mr Barclay added his partner was able to inform them that she didn’t know what he had taken, but had had no adverse reaction to substances he had consumed previously.
Sentencing Robertson, Sheriff Andrew Berry, who saw a background report, told him: “You struggled, violently, with a paramedic and assaulted him and tried to bite him and spat blood in his eye. That is as inappropriate and unpleasant as it gets for any human being, but particularly so for someone who was trying to help you.”
Robertson was ordered to “put something back into the community” by carrying out 132 hours of unpaid work.