Prison sentence for paramedic attacker

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A man has been given a custodial prison sentence after assaulting and threatening to kill a North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) paramedic who was looking after and comforting him.

An ambulance was called to an unconscious man on 5 September 2017 but after getting the patient on the stretcher and in the ambulance the man suddenly became alert and began pulling at the ambulance equipment aggressively.

In an attempt to calm him down, paramedic, Amanda Beames, comforted the man who seemed upset. He asked Amanda to hold his hand which she did before he started laughing and pulled her on top of him, threatening to kill her and attempting to use her pen as a weapon to attack her with.

Amanda bravely managed to hold down and restrain the male all whilst travelling on the motorway in a moving ambulance but was left with injuries to her wrist, chest and stomach.

The man, Paulius Zacharovas, 30, of no fixed abode, was later arrested and kept on remand before pleading guilty on 21 February 2018 at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court to a charge of assault with battery.

Sector Manager for NWAS in Greater Manchester, Annemarie Rooney, said: “This type of treatment towards the very people who are there only to help is absolutely not acceptable and we will not tolerate it.

“This was a vicious attack which has had a lasting effect on our paramedic and we’re glad that he has been brought to justice.”

In 2017, there were 204 reported incidents of physical assault against NWAS staff in Greater Manchester alone.

Amanda Beames said: “This was an extremely frightening experience for me and although I have experienced abuse during my 20 career as a paramedic, never anything on this scale.

“I have had to take some time away from my role following the attack but feel that this sentencing has given me some closure and I feel determined to get back to the job I love.

"The support that I have had from my colleagues, friends, family and the service as a whole has been amazing but it should not be needed. Nobody should ever be treated in that way especially someone who is only there to help.”

Zacharavos was sentenced to an eight-month custodial sentence and ordered to pay fines of £150.