A MAN found guilty of assaulting a paramedic on the night the Sugar Hut caught fire is refusing to complete his community service punishment as he maintains he is innocent.

Proceedings at Basildon Magistrates' Court had to be temporarily suspended on Friday after Alan Lethbridge, 28, repeatedly shouted from the dock that he was innocent and accused the paramedic he assaulted of lying and colluding with police.

The 28-year-old from Harold Hill was found guilty by magistrates of spitting at the paramedic, Richard Defries, who went to his aid after police sprayed CS gas in his face.

He shouted from the dock: "Put me in prison. I'm not guilty.

"Just put me in prison. I don't care."

It was while celebrating a friend's first boxing bout that the scene with Lethbridge erupted in Brentwood High Street on September 13 last year as the historic building that housed the Sugar Hut night club blazed.

Police standing at a cordon set up around the club were called to neighbouring O'Neill's pub to help eject Lethbridge.

A struggle ensued and he received a cut to his right eyebrow and was then sprayed with the gas as police tried to regain control of the situation.

Mr Defries, who had been on standby providing emergency cover to firefighters tackling the blaze, was asked to treat the builder but was verbally abused several times.

Lethbridge then deliberately spat in the medic's face.

The paramedic said: "The cut was a very minor injury so I wasn't concerned about his health and there was no concern about respiratory function.

"I was saying, 'I'm a paramedic – I'm here to help you.'"

The paramedic, who has worked for the ambulance service for 10 years, said: "I was with him for the next 10 minutes.

"Throughout, he was swearing and being aggressive."

"He looked at me directly... and spat at me.

"I am 100 per cent sure his intention was to spit at me."

Lethbridge will have to carry out 100 hours of unpaid community work and pay £150 compensation to the Mr Defries, plus £100 costs.

After the case he said: "They are going to have to give me a custodial sentence because I'm not going to work for free for something I haven't done."

He insists it was a matter of mistaken identity that led him to being thrown out of the pub.

He said that as he went outside he was shoved in the back and the next thing he was on the ground.

He said: "Why would I want to spit at a paramedic after being sprayed with CS gas and being smashed into the floor and receiving a cut to the head. I think it's insane.

"I was lying there like a dummy.

"Maybe I did spit on everyone by accident, I didn't spit on anyone purposefully. If I did spit on anyone accidentally, I'm sorry about it."

Lethbridge, who has a previous conviction for assaulting a police officer and spitting at him in 2004, immediately appealed.

He added: "When that happened, I was younger. I'm not like that any more."

The CPS has decided not to proceed with criminal charges against the officers involved in the arrest. However, the men are subject to an ongoing investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.