A blind man being transported to hospital by ambulance attacked a crew member while demanding to be taken home.

Andrew Burns, who was born visually impaired, initially threatened to punch the NHS worker before lashing out in a tussle which left them both on the floor of the moving emergency vehicle.

Canterbury Crown Court heard the 41-year-old had already lied about having chest pains before resorting to his "stupid and highly dangerous" actions.

Now, the violent episode, together with racial targeting of three police officers and an assault on his then-girlfriend, has led him to a spell behind bars.

Prosecutor Elisenda Mitchell said ambulance practitioner David Robinson had been dispatched to Burns' home in Canterbury on October 21 last year.

The crew soon left the Union Street property however after Burns became verbally abusive and declined treatment.

But having then reported he was suffering from chest pains, the ambulance was asked to return, whereupon he admitted he had lied and wanted to kill himself.

"They offered to take Mr Burns to hospital and he agreed. But while in the ambulance he became abusive and demanded to be taken home," explained the prosecutor.

"The ambulance stopped but then he changed his mind again about going to hospital.

"A short time later in the ambulance he again demanded to be taken home, removed his seatbelt and put Mr Robinson in immediate fear of violence, stating 'I'm going to punch you in the face if you don't let me off.'"

The court heard Burns managed to calm down but just moments later became aggressive again.

"He approached Mr Robinson, there was a struggle, and both ended up on the floor.

"The defendant was attempting to punch Mr Robinson during the struggle while the ambulance was still moving before he was eventually restrained and calmed down."

The ambulance practitioner sustained a bump to his head and a grazed knee.

The next day, Burns was being arrested for an unrelated incident when he called one officer "a foreign b****" and another "a f****** Australian b****".

Ms Mitchell told the court the constable was actually from New Zealand, a fact Burns already knew from a prior conversation.

He later claimed to regret the "foreign" remarks he had made.

Five days earlier on October 17, Burns had been arrested for an attack on his girlfriend in which he had grabbed her by the throat with one hand and, as she described to police, "chucked" her across the room.

The court heard that in May that same year he had also assaulted and racially abused a third police constable by using the 'N' word, branding him "a foreign c***", and kicking the officer in the knee.

At the time of all his offending he was subject to a six-month suspended prison sentence for offences of battery and intentional strangulation committed against the same partner, as well as a 10-year restraining order.

She later told police that the violence had had a "nightmare" effect on her.

Burns pleaded guilty to one offence of assault causing actual bodily harm, two of assault on emergency workers and three of racially aggravated disorderly behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

At his sentencing hearing on Thursday (June 20), the court was told alcohol had been used as a coping mechanism for not only his poor health but also his living conditions.

Kerry Waitt, defending, said that having been born with no sight in one eye, the other had deteriorated to such an extent that Burns was declared "fully blind" in 2001.

His home, added the lawyer, was a "death trap", with no electricity and mould.

"In an endeavour to escape both his physical conditions and inability to find sanctuary at home, he turns to drink," explained Mr Waitt.

"That draws him to the attention of the police and draws him to the attention of the emergency services.

"But he doesn't use drink to excuse his behaviour, just to explain it...He understands alcohol is not the way to solve his problems."

Mr Waitt said while his client's relationship with his former partner had been "volatile", with drinking on both sides, it was accepted that it had "irretrievably" broken down.

Jailing Burns for a total of two years, Recorder Edmund Fowler told him he had hurled "wholly disgraceful" remarks at officers who were just trying to help, and had left his partner "utterly worn down and in a permanent state of terror and anxiety" by his behaviour.

Of the incident in the ambulance, the judge said Burns had acted "with stupidity" in his ever-changing demands before resorting to abuse and violence.

"This was quite a prolonged and persistent incident," Recorder Fowler added.

"There was a threat to cause serious harm with punching and in circumstances where it was dangerous as this was a moving vehicle."