East Kilbride News

Medics tried to help after drug and booze fuelled injury

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MIKE MCQUAID

An East Kilbride youth who attacked two paramedics who were trying to help him has been locked up for 20 months.

The emergency workers were transferri­ng Graham Shepherd from an ambulance at Hairmyres Hospital when he turned violent.

Shepherd, 20, of Rockhampto­n Avenue, was sentenced at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday.

He admitted assaulting two paramedics at the hospital’s accident and emergency unit on October 19.

The court heard Shepherd was the subject of five bail orders at the time, including one that had been granted just eight days before the hospital incident.

Jennifer McLaren, prosecutin­g, said it happened shortly after 7pm when the A&E unit was “extremely busy”.

She told the court: “An ambulance crew attended an emergency call in the Burnbank area of Hamilton.

“The accused was found by police in the street. He had a wound to his forehead.

“He said he had taken valium, heroin and alcohol, and he appeared to be under the influence.

“As he was being transferre­d from the ambulance trolley to a hospital bed, he jumped off and fell against a wall.

“He made an attempt to run from the room, but was held back.

“Shepherd then drew back his leg and kicked one of the paramedics with full force on the upper body, causing him to fall back.

“One worker tried to restrain the accused and was punched on the stomach.

“Shepherd then produced a piece of metal from somewhere on his person.

“He lunged towards the witnesses while holding this, but it was removed from him and security staff were called.”

Sheriff Ray Small told Shepherd his guilty pleas had saved him from a 30-month sentence.

Sentence was backdated to October 21 as he has been in custody since then.

 ??  ?? Locked up Shepherd was sentenced to 20 months imprisonme­nt for his outburst – if he had not pleaded guilty, it would have been longer
Locked up Shepherd was sentenced to 20 months imprisonme­nt for his outburst – if he had not pleaded guilty, it would have been longer

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