A MAN hurled vile abuse at hospital staff while he was being checked for smoke inhalation from a fire he caused in his own house.

Thomas Kiltie of Saugh Hill Road in Girvan fell asleep with a lit cigarette in his house after an afternoon drinking in his garden on July 22.

The 51-year-old was referred to hospital by the fire service when they arrived due to concern he was suffering from smoke inhalation.

But he became abusive to nurses and threw racial slurs at one of them while being disruptive at the University Hospital in Ayr.

Kiltie was jailed for six months when he appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court on Tuesday, August 13.

Fiscal Depute Ms Jo Cunningham told the court: “This offence took place at the Combined Assessment Unit at University Hospital. It is used for patients transitioning from Accident and Emergency into the main hospital.

“At approximately 7pm staff commenced duty within the Combined Assessment Unit. The accused as a patient was in a fankle.

“He was being disruptive, shouting and swearing and this was during nurses’ handover. He was warned by one of the employees regarding his behaviour but he continued and he began to direct abuse at two staff nurses, shouting such phrases ‘f*** up you c*** and f*** off you black b******’.

“He came out at a side room where he lashed out with his hands but it was noted there was no deliberate attempt to physically harm any of the witnesses.

“Due to his disruptive behaviour and swearing police were called. When police attended he was advised he was under arrest.”

Kiltie’s defence counsel Mr Ian Gillies explained how his client’s behaviour was “completely unacceptable”. He said: “He was in that unit because there was a fire at his house, and when the fire brigade arrived they were concerned about possible smoke inhalation and they arranged for an ambulance to take him.

“The abuse is completely unacceptable, while it is verbal and not physical it is extremely unpleasant.

“There is a gap between 2013 and his last conviction and that is because he had a stroke in 2013 and by in large that has inhibited his previous lifestyle.

“The truth of the matter after the effects of the stroke he has found this particularly difficult to deal with and on a host of medication. He gets depressed, and doesn’t help himself because he takes alcohol when he’s depressed.

“The fire in his house happened because it was a hot summer’s day, he was sitting in the garden drinking. He went back into the house and started smoking and fell asleep. The fire started from there.”

On viewing Kiltie’s record which includes an identical offence at Crosshouse Hospital in November 2018, Sheriff John Montgomery sentenced him to six months in prison.

Sheriff Montgomery told Kiltie: “You were convicted in January of this behaviour. You clearly haven’t learned.”