Tougher jail terms for assaulting 999 staff
AMBULANCE chiefs have welcomed a new law that means stiffer prison sentences for thugs who attack emergency service workers.
The legislation introduces a new offence of common assault against workers including police, paramedics and firefighters. As part of the new crime created by the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Bill, the current sixmonth maximum sentence for common assault will be doubled to a maximum of a year in the event of an attack on a 999 worker.
It comes after Nicolas Frost, who assaulted three East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) staff from Swadlincote, was sent to prison for six months. It happened as he was being taken to hospital in July last year after shouting racist abuse at the staff when they arrived at the scene of an incident in Ashby.
Seven minutes into the journey, Frost unclipped himself from a stretcher and became aggressive towards trainee technician Anthony Hancock, who was helping him.
Ray Woolley, a technician with EMAS, was driving and pulled into a layby on the A511 to assist his colleague.
He said at the time: “[Frost] tried to get my colleague on the floor and when he was unsuccessful, he put him into a headlock and kept punching him in the head.”
Paramedic Joanne Brint, who was in an ambulance car following the vehicle, attempted to pull Frost from her colleague when he “donkey-kicked” her out of the rear doors, before punching Mr Woolley in the side of the head.
West Midlands Ambulance Service staff suffered a similar attack when Burton man Jancis Lacplesis, 51, of Derby Street, appeared in court in January this year to admit two assault charges and criminal damage.
As well as admitting attacking a male and female paramedic on October 16 last year, he also pleaded guilty to damaging a car door panel. He also admitted failing to attend court on December 28.
The paramedics had been called out to a drunk Lacplesis due to a previous incident, magistrates’ were told.
Lacplesis was given six-week jail sentence suspended for 12 months. However, his sentence was described as “extremely disappointing” by West Midlands Ambulance Service’s head of security and safety Steve Elliker.
Reacting to the new law, WMAS trust chief executive Anthony Marsh said: “Anyone who attacks an emergency worker is attacking our society, and as such, should face the full force of the law.
“This new Bill is undoubtedly a step forward, but it is now up to the prosecuting authorities and the courts to do the right thing and follow public opinion by using it to put a stop to the violence.”