A half-naked racist attacked a paramedic and tried to show off his swastika tattoo to a police officer, a court has heard.

James Ritchie, 21, spat in the face of a paramedic and at police officers trying to help him after he was found collapsed in the street. He also spat on a staff nurse at Perth Royal Infirmary.

Ritchie, of St Catherine's Square, Perth, launched a tirade of racist abuse at one police officer and told him he should take a look at his swastika tattoo.

Fiscal depute Carol Whyte told Perth Sheriff Court that police found Ritchie lying half-naked outside a block of flats in Perth on Saturday night.

She said: "They got reports of an intoxicated male. That turned out to be the accused, who was half-dressed.

"He was only wearing clothing on the lower half of his body and was lying on the ground.

"He was aggressive and shouting and swearing incoherently. Police helped the accused into an ambulance where he was strapped to a trolley.

"He was released from restraints, opened his eyes and looked directly at the paramedic and spat in his face. It struck him on the cheek and ear."

Ritchie, who had taken a cocktail of drugs at a party, was taken to Perth Royal Infirmary, where he then spat several times at the staff nurse treating him.

Four police officers were called after he threatened to stab the nurse and he spat at one of them while boasting to another about his tattoo.

Ritchie admitted a series of assault charges, along with further offences of threatening behaviour and racist abuse.

Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said: "He took a cocktail of drugs and doesn't know exactly what it was. He got himself in a state where he was found half-naked in the street."

Jailing Ritchie for eight months, Sheriff William Wood told Ritchie: "This was an appalling course of conduct.

"These were all people trying to help you when you were in a state where you couldn't help yourself."

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