GREENFORD, London, U.K. — A man narrowly escaped a jail sentence for slashing the tires of an ambulance earlier this month.
Paul Johnson, 44, used a five-inch knife to slash the tires of a nearby ambulance.
Paramedics inside the vehicle at the time were treating a pedestrian who was critically injured in an accident.
Officers restrained Johnson after disabling him with pepper spray, reports Get West London..
At his trial on Tuesday, Johnson was revealed to have been high on heroin and spice when he was arrested on July 6 for the tire-slashing incident.
Johnson claimed to have been planning to commit suicide with the knife when he came across the ambulance.
Robert Layton, a lawyer representing Johnson, said that his client is deeply remorseful for what happened.
“He has suffered from depression since being badly injured in a work accident at the age of 22, and has not been able to work since,” Layton said. “Mr. Johnson has attempted suicide on a number of occasions, including an attempt to crash his motorcycle in order to kill himself.”
Johnson was ordered to pay £225 (about $295) for the ambulance tires and court fees, and was given a 26-week suspended sentence.
The victim of the road accident is still in the hospital.