A DRUNKEN man pushed past paramedics who were trying to assist his unconscious friend who was on a stretcher.

Blackburn magistrates heard Adam Paul Corbett tried to undo the straps and slapped his friend across the face to try to wake him.

He threatened the ambulance crew who eventually had to lock themselves and their patient inside their vehicle while they waited for police.

Jailing Corbett, the chairman of the magistrates said they had a duty to protect the emergency services.

“The paramedic could have been saving your friend’s life, you didn’t know if he had banged his head,” said the chairman.

“You could have been responsible for his death, that is how serious this is.”

Corbett, 26, of Frederick Street, Oswaldtwistle, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour and hindering a paramedic responding to emergency circumstances.

He was jailed for six weeks and a further eight weeks for being in breach of a suspended prison sentence.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Jackie Carney, a rapid response paramedic, had responded to a 999 emergency report of a man unconscious in Blackburn Road, Accrington, on June 28.

Peter King, defending, said the patient was Ian Mullen and he and his friends, including Corbett, had drunk ‘copious’ amounts of alcohol.

“They had been celebrating Mr Mullen’s birthday and he collapsed to the floor only because of the alcohol he had consumed,” said Mr King.

Corbett was so drunk he couldn’t take direction from the crew.

Mr King said Corbett accepted he had threatened the police officer who attended but had not touched any member of the crew.