A LASER pen lout blasted a sight-impairing beam directly into the eyes of an ambulance driver and another paramedic as they were responding to a 999 emergency call.

Drunken Christopher Curran shone the green-coloured light at the medical vehicle as it was being driven out of its Greenock depot on an early-morning mercy dash.

Curran, 38, also fired a dazzling ray from the pen into the eyes of another crew of lifesavers as the ambulance they were in was being reversed into the Knowe Road station.

He followed that up by targeting other staff members within the premises from the window of a nearby house — where he had been drinking throughout the night with his pals.

Greenock Sheriff Court was told how Curran had been ‘quite curious’ about the laser pen and had been flashing it around the property just moments before deciding to shine it at the town’s medical crews.

Prosecutor Claire Nicholls said: “Two witnesses were returning to Greenock Ambulance Depot and were reversing an ambulance when they became aware of a green-coloured laser pen being shone into the cab of the vehicle.

“The pen was shone into the eyes of the occupants of the ambulance, causing temporary impairment.

“Two people within a room at the depot had the pen shone into their eyes as well.”

Fiscal depute Ms Nicholls added: “Later two people were leaving for an emergency call when the pen was shone into their eyes.

“Police were called, and as officers arrived the pen was again being shone into the depot. The accused was in a nearby house with a number of other people and he was subsequently detained.”

The court heard how Curran admitted to police that he had been in possession of the pen and had been shining it.

He told officers: “It was because I was being drunk and stupid.”

Curran, of Sinclair Street in Greenock, committed the offences from around 7.30am onwards on January 30.

The Telegraph told in March how an investigation had been launched after a laser pen was pointed at the pilot of an air ambulance flying above the town.

It is believed that the beam was being shone from the Cornhaddock Street area.

Rays from the pens are known to dazzle, distract or impair pilots and also cause them to feel unwell.

Defence lawyer John Lanigan said of Curran’s ambulance station antics: “He had been drinking with his friends the previous night and into the early hours of the morning.

“Mr Curran had the pen and was quite curious about it. He began to shine it about the house. He also shone it out of the window.”

Mr Lanigan added: “He was under the influence of alcohol and this was an extremely stupid thing for him to do.

“He can remember very little about this.

“Mr Curran appreciates that this is a serious matter and that his liberty is at stake.

“However, he has not been in trouble for a considerable period of time. His last conviction for anything was in November 2007.”

Sheriff Thomas Ward told Curran: “No doubt you have read in the newspaper about people who use these pens against helicopters and the like.

“If that was the case here then you would be facing a jail sentence.

“I’m not sure that shining a laser pen into a window is in the same class, but you did shine it into the cabs of ambulance depot vehicles and that could have had consequences for the drivers.”

The sheriff said that he would deal with the matter by way of a fine ‘on this occasion’. 

Curran was ordered to pay £675.