A MAN who spat in an ambulance and racially abused the paramedic driving him to hospital has been jailed.

John Graham – known as Homeless John – who is frequently seen sat in shop doorways in Cavendish Street, Keighley, told one paramedic he was “lucky not to spit in his face” and shouted “f*** off” at another and made a racially abusive remark.

Locking him up for six months, Judge Jonathan Rose said: “National Health Service employees are all under terrible strain at this time.”

Graham, 44, of no fixed address, had 69 previous convictions for 125 offences including multiple counts of assaulting the police and breaches of anti-social behaviour and criminal behaviour orders for begging and vagrancy.

He pleaded guilty via a video link from Bradford Crown Court to HMP Doncaster to assaulting an emergency worker, a paramedic doing his duty, on April 15, and racially aggravated harassment, alarm and distress of the man’s colleague.

Graham also admitted criminal damage at the police station when he urinated on the cell floor and exposed his penis.

Prosecutor Michael Smith said Graham was being taken by ambulance from the Holroyd House Hotel in Wibsey, Bradford, to Bradford Royal Infirmary when he committed the offences.

He had self-harmed by injuring his hand because he said he was “bored”.

Graham began spitting in the back of the ambulance and when challenged by the paramedic sitting with him he said: “You’ll be lucky if I don’t spit in your face.”

When the paramedic driving the vehicle tried to calm Graham down, he let forth a tirade of racial abuse, Mr Smith said.

The court heard that both paramedics were left shocked and distressed that they were treated like that when trying to help Graham.

His solicitor advocate, Mohammed Hussain, said Graham was a familiar sight sitting reading on a blanket in Cavendish Street.

He was known locally as Homeless John and had breached the CRIMBO by repeatedly returning to the street.

Graham was very distressed on the day of the offences because he had just heard that his mother had died.

“He accepts his behaviour was completely unacceptable and disgusting,” Mr Hussain said.

Graham pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and was very remorseful.

“He asked me to apologise to the paramedics for his disgusting behaviour,” Mr Hussain told the court.

Judge Rose said spitting was disgusting and put people in danger. Graham had gone on to use “foul and abusive language” to the second paramedic at a time when they were coping with the Covid-19 pandemic.