Paragraphs 11 and 12 read: “The court heard the lad, who
is suffering from depression, had not had his
medication for four days and tried to ‘catch up’ by taking four days
worth in one go.”
“Mr Parsons added: ‘One of the side
effects was that this young man collapsed on Mr Lane’s floor. He was
unconscious. There was a delay in the ambulance coming to the flat. Mr Lane was
very distressed. He thought this young man who was in his
care was dead’.”
Death threat to paramedic trying to save teenager
Friday, November 13, 2009, 09:22
A MAN threatened to kill a
paramedic who was trying to save the life of a teenager after he collapsed at
his house with a heart attack, a court heard.
South Devon magistrates in
Torquay were told Robert Lane became agitated and angry with ambulance staff who
were trying to revive the 19-year-old man.
Following the case, a
spokesman for the ambulance service said: “Any abuse, whether verbal or
physical, will not be tolerated. The trust takes incidents of this nature very
seriously.”
The court heard on Saturday, October 24, the young man, who
had been living with Lane at his Prospect Lane home in Brixham for the past two
years, collapsed with suspected heart failure after ingesting four days’ worth
of anti-depressants in one go.
Lane, 48, called 999 but was angry with
the paramedics when he claimed they turned up 35 minutes later.
Lyndsey
Baker, prosecuting, said: “When ambulance staff arrived, the suspect became
abusive. He grabbed one of the staff and tried to throw a punch at him. Another
paramedic tried to intervene and he again tried to throw a punch at
him.”
In a statement, paramedic Martin Stone said: “I felt the male was
going to assault me and was in fear of violence. It was completely unprovoked
while we were treating someone for a serious condition.”
In his
statement, Mr Stone said: “He (Lane) said to me, ‘If anything happens to him
you’re dead’. I was in fear for my safety and that of my colleagues.”
The
court heard on the day Lane had drunk two pints of lager, was in an agitated
state and was angry at the situation. Lane yesterday pleaded guilty to a charge
of obstructing or hindering an emergency worker.
Lane’s solicitor, Alan
Parsons, said his client had been providing accommodation to the 19-year-old, a
friend of his own 19-year-old son, for two and a half years after he fell out
with his family. Mr Parsons said: “He treated him like a second son.”
The
court heard the lad, who is suffering from depression, had not had his
medication for four days and tried to ‘catch up’ by taking four days worth in
one go.
Mr Parsons added: “One of the side effects was that this young
man collapsed on Mr Lane’s floor. He was unconscious. There was a delay in the
ambulance coming to the flat. Mr Lane was very distressed. He thought this young
man who was in his care was dead.”
Mr Parsons said the 19-year-old man
was successfully resuscitated by paramedics.
He added: “Mr Lane panicked.
He asked the paramedics why the ambulance took so long.
“He accepts he
obstructed their activity but the last thing he wanted was to hinder anything
which could stop them from saving this 19-year-old’s life. It was a regrettable
situation, but the young man has now made a full recovery.”
Sentencing
Lane to an 18-month conditional discharge, £100 compensation and an £85 fine,
Torbay magistrates said: “We understand the stress you were under on the day,
but public sector workers, especially paramedics deserve support not threats.
This was a very serious offence.”
The ambulance service spokesman said
paramedics arrived on the scene within four minutes.
She said: “Every
ambulance clinician should be able to fulfil their life-saving role without fear
of abuse or assault. As this case demonstrates there will be consequences for
people who believe it is acceptable to disrespect ambulance
personnel.”
