A MAN has been jailed for 15 months for attacking five emergency workers who tried to help him after he was found drunk in Southampton city centre.

Heroin and crack cocaine addict Paul Deacon assaulted police, paramedics and nurses - leaving three of his victims fearing they might have caught Covid-19.

The emergency services were called to Above Bar Street on the evening of March 7, Southampton Crown Court was told.

Richard Mandel, prosecuting, said Deacon was thought to have suffered a stroke but turned out to be "extremely drunk".

Mr Mandel added: "He was aggressive towards ambulance staff.

"Police put him on a stretcher and wheeled him into the ambulance. He was being attended to by a paramedic when he raised his left arm and punched him in the face.

"Deacon was handcuffed and taken to Southampton General Hospital."

Mr Mandel said a female police officer was trying to reassure him and make him more comfortable when he spat in her face.

Referring to the pandemic he added: "She was shocked and worried because of the danger of infection in the current situation. She had to have a blood test, which was an unpleasant situation for her."

Mr Mandel said Deacon also spat at two nurses, although there was no evidence that any of his victims became infected.

"The defendant continued to scream and shout and headbutted another health care professional, hitting him just above the eye," he said.

Deacon, 31, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to five counts of assaulting emergency workers.

The court heard he had 23 convictions from 52 offences, including previous assaults on emergency workers.

Gaylene Coles, mitigating, said her client was addicted to heroin, crack cocaine and alcohol. Referring to the events of March 7 she added: "All he remembers is panicking."

Judge Nicholas Rowland told the defendant: "These were five public servants who were doing their duty and trying to help you.

"You repaid them by assaulting them - headbutting, punching and spitting at them. These are serious offences aggravated by your dreadful record of violence."

Deacon was jailed for three months for each of the five offences.