Shropshire Star

No release for Shropshire teenager in paramedic case

A troubled teenager who repeatedly impersonated a paramedic is still in custody after eight months, because he cannot get a place in psychiatric care.

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Benjamin Jones, 19, convinced two people he was with the ambulance service – to the point of dressing in uniform, offering to treat a man's leg and inventing a story that he had seen a baby die.

He was charged in February with breaking an anti-social behaviour order forbidding him to own uniforms or objects used by a medical professional, after a string of similar impersonations in the past.

But, despite being due to be sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court, his case was adjourned again as no funding has been found for a place in hospital, as recommended by a psychological report.

Debra White, defending, urged Judge Peter Barrie to let him go as he had already spent longer in custody than he was likely to be sentenced to serve. But Judge Barrie said he had "no confidence" either Jones or the public would be safe if he let him out unsupervised.

Wearing black boots, green trousers, a utility belt and a T-shirt identifying him as a medic, he offered to treat a man's leg after he fell while they were walking together in Tweedale, Telford, in January.

He then introduced himself to a woman in Church Stretton as an undercover police officer before claiming he was a paramedic, offering her the use of an inhaler.

He texted the woman, making up stories about what he had been up to, including cleaning his ambulance, going on 999 calls and trying and failing to save a baby's life.

Judge Barrie said a psychological report made it clear Jones was a "vulnerable young man" and recommended a psychiatric assessment and "long-term therapeutic intervention" under supervision.

But Deborah Southwell, of Shrewsbury Probation Service, said until further expert psychiatric reports had been done there was no way of getting the £4,000 a week funding for a place in a suitable home.

She said the problem was he had not been diagnosed with a specific illness, such as a personality disorder, that would attract such funding. The only option was to put Jones in a bed and breakfast hostel with five hours of therapy a week, she said.

Judge Barrie said on Friday he was not prepared to release Jones under such conditions. He said while the actual harm he had caused was slight, the harm he could cause was significant.

He said he would adjourn the case until September 26, when he should have "two psychiatric reports and a proper way forward".

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