A DRUNK security guard who punched a paramedic has been given a conditional discharge by a court.

Christopher Bainton, of Toft Green, York, pleaded guilty to common assault when he appeared before York magistrates this week after an incident in the summer.

Sam Rogers, prosecuting, told the court Bainton was found laying in Beckfield Lane at just before 1am on Sunday, July 29, wearing only a pair of trousers and his shoes.

When police and paramedics arrived, they found he appeared too drunk to stand and he was placed on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance, at which point he punched the paramedic, Robert Chelton, on the side of the mouth.

The ambulance stopped and police arrested Bainton.

He told them during an interview he had no recollection of the incident, but remembered drinking “three or four pints” of lager at a friend’s house earlier that evening.

He said his aggression would not usually be so great after that much alcohol.

Speaking in his own defence, Bainton told the court he was a security guard who had worked for the NHS and his licence had been revoked as a consequence of the assault.

He said: “I would like to fully apologise for this matter, which has shocked me as much as anybody.

“I’ve helped out many times with paramedics and police, and never understood why anyone would get aggressive with them. Something happened to me. I can drink a lot more than that and stay happy.

‘‘I have nothing but embarrassment for this whole matter.”

Magistrate Anthony Hammersley told Bainton: “The really aggravating feature of this is the chap on the receiving end is a paramedic.

‘‘You have expressed remorse as clearly and plainly as you could, so we can say this is a bottom end of the scale offence.”

Bainton was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay compensation of £100 and prosecution costs of £85.