A DARTS player assaulted a nurse and a paramedic who were trying to help him at A&E.

Richard George, nicknamed Richie Rich, was in the accident and emergency department at Colchester General Hospital when he was heard making racial slurs to medics by staff.

During his visit, on July 21, he also hit a nurse in the face after she had stepped in to calm him down.

Yesterday, George, 26, admitted two counts of assault and one of racially aggravated harassment at Colchester Magistrates’ Court.

Kathy Wilson, prosecuting, said George, of George Hall, in Slough Lane, Ardleigh, had been taken to hospital after a possible overdose and had suffered cuts to his arms.

She told the court: “He was in a cubicle for treatment when he was heard by members of staff making racist comments.”

Mrs Wilson said the paramedic became upset with some remarks he was saying during the altercation.

She added: “George went nose to nose with the victim.

“He slapped him on the arm, grasped the pack [blood equipment] and threw it at him and it collided with his torso.

“He started flailing his arms about and it was then he hit a nurse on the side of her face after she had gone to assist her colleague.

“They suffered no injuries but were shocked.”

The court heard George, a father of two with another child on the way, had been prescribed sleeping tablets the day before and had taken two.

He had also been drinking alcohol.

Selena Dines, mitigating, said the tablets had affected his behaviour and he would not be taking them in future.

She told the court: “He couldn’t remember the incident.

“He is suffering from a lot of stress.

“He has a management company and he has lost a number of contracts in recent weeks which has affected his income.

“He was behaving strangely at home and had blackouts.

“His mum asked a family friend to take him to hospital.

“The fact he acted strangely at hospital is maybe to be expected as he was acting strangely at home.

“Richard is shocked and mortified.

“He is sorry for the way he has behaved and wants to extend a full apology to anyone concerned in the incident.

“It’s quite out of character for him.”

George was given a 12 month community order and ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was also given a £400 fine, ordered to pay £100 to each assault victim, £85 costs and a £85 victim surcharge.

George’s best finish in a tournament came in 2013, when he reached the semi-final of the World Championship.

He was once ranked as high as 31st in the world, in 2013, but dropped to 134 in 2015.