Crews back sentencing for Telford ambulance attacker
Ambulance staff whose vehicle was attacked while they were treating a patient, have said they are pleased the man responsible will be treated for an alcohol addiction.
The court heard that paramedics had been responding to a report of a man taking an overdose when their vehicle was attacked in the early hours of April 30.
Magistrates sentenced Kane to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work as part of a 12 month community order.
He was also made subject to a six-month alcohol treatment requirement and will take part in 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
At the time paramedic Joy Hughes tweeted:
Today Murray MacGregor of West Midlands Ambulance Service said that when told of the sentence the immediate reaction of the staff involved had been one of compassion for Kane.
He said: "I spoke to the member of staff and her first comment was 'That is good, he is getting some help for his drinking'. That demonstrates the compassion of the type of people we employ."
Mr MacGregor said that the courts need to take attacks on ambulance staff seriously.
He said: "Actually there are too many occasions when the courts are simply not handing out tough enough sentences.
"We certainly put stuff on social media at the time and it was an overwhelming tide of outrage from the public. The public clearly do not think it is appropriate for people to abuse our staff and we need the courts to hear that."
Kane caused £100 of damage to the ambulance.
Mr Roger Bleazard, prosecuting, told the court paramedics were with a patient inside the ambulance when Kane came out of a nearby house.
He said that he had appeared drunk.
He said: “For no good reason he attacks the ambulance, smashing the nearside wing mirror off, denting the panels and throwing mud at it before police attend and arrest him.”
He said the ambulance was out of action for a couple of days while the wing mirror was replaced.
Kane told a probation officer he drank a litre of vodka prior to the incident and had no recollection of the events.
As part of his sentence Kane was also ordered to pay £100 in compensation to West Midlands Ambulance Service and £85 costs.
