What paramedic told student before groping her bum, a hearing is told

A PARAMEDIC repeatedly groped a student’s bottom and told her she had ‘a lovely wiggle’ a tribunal heard.

Michael Beard also sent the woman inappropriate text messages referring to her backside and calling her ‘sexy,’ it is claimed.

The student, known only as Miss A, who was studying to become a paramedic when she was assigned to a practice placement a London Ambulance Station under Beard’s supervision.

The day after she started in September, 2010 she was sent a text message saying, “oh good n btw ty 4 walkin upstairs ahead of me, it didn’t go unnoticed, a lovely little wiggle;-) x”.

A panel at the Health and Care Professions Council heard that Miss A endured similar treatment for weeks, fearing repercussions on her career if she reported Beard.

Grabbed

She said: “I was very new, very scared and very embarrassed by it all.”

Miss A also told the panel that Beard grabbed her bottom on her second day.

She said they had been called to a job and while she was walking up a set of stairs she felt someone touch her and turned to find Beard standing behind her.

Describing another alleged incident of groping she added: “We were waiting to get into our vehicle.

“He put his hand down by the side of me and grabbed my bottom again, but so that nobody could see.”

The panel heard that on September 12 Miss A allegedly told Beard he her feel uncomfortable. She said he apologised but then the next day had tapped her backside again.

The panel heard that Miss A finally told her tutor about what had been happening on her placement after a further ‘touching’ incident.

Beard admits sending Miss A the text referring to her wiggling her bottom as she walked up the stairs, but denies that it was sexually motivated.

He also denies ever touching her bottom, or that any of his actions were sexually motivated.

The hearing continues