A drunken thug hit a paramedic while he was giving first aid to a woman.
Andrew Rowle, 22, laughed after he tripped over Steven Woodburn’s medical bag and fell into him on Portland Street in Manchester city centre.
But the city’s magistrates court was told he then turned violent when Mr Woodburn politely asked him to ‘give him some space’.
He slapped the paramedic hard in the face and then ran away – but was chased by police and arrested.
Matthew Siddall, prosecuting, said: “He hit him with full force. A police patrol saw it on CCTV and he was arrested.”
The court heard Rowle, an unemployed floor-layer, from Taunton, Somerset, had drunk up to 15 pints of lager and some shots before the 2am attack on November 28. He admitted assault.
He had been staying in Manchester with his girlfriend.
Mr Woodburn, who was working alone and was waiting for an ambulance to take the woman to hospital, said he had felt intimidated by Rowle.
In a statement read out in court, he said: “It made me very nervous that somebody would make such an unprovoked attack while I was helping a patient.
“I would not like him to be let off lightly. Anyone who assaults a paramedic should feel the full force of the law.”
Rowle was given a three-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He also received a three-month curfew and was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and pay Mr Woodburn £200 compensation.
Chairman of the bench Barbara Barraclough said: “Members of the medical profession have enough problems to deal with in the city centre at weekends without having to look over their shoulders and see if a violent drunk is heading their way.”
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
Another slap on the wrist for one of Britains finest. If the Paramedic had slapped this peace of scum he would have lost his job and the yobbo given compo.
Well done again to the do gooders.
He slapped him and ran away? It would be comical if it was not so serious!
We all know that most fines are never paid. After all is said and done: the thug got away with it thank. Thank you Her Most Gracious Majesty's judges and magistrates for yet again insuring that justice is not done. Thugs and gangsters must be dreading the day when judges and magistrates will be elected by the people and not appointed by the Roýal Family
Just look at him,no more needs to be said.
But shame on the Judge.
Five years hard labour ...
Do these judges actually live on the same planet as everyone else?
SENTENCE HIM TO TWO WEEKS IN THE STOCKS BETWEEN 11PM AND 2AM OR FOR THE DURATION OF THE COLD WEATHER, WHICH EVER IS THE LONGEST.
another one gets away with it, disgusting!!
To be honest if I looked like him I wouldn't slap a paramedic I would slap myself.
What ever happened to getting tough on people who assault emergency service workers aND HOSPITAL STAFF?
Que nervous yawn
vermin
another pathetic punisment for a scumbag!! they said a get tough policy on all who assault a nhs worker...the paramedics do a good job and should have the full force of the law to protect them.i wonder if that judge would do that job at 2 am in a city centre??? i think not!!!!
That sentence is pathetic, words fail me.
“I would not like him to be let off lightly. Anyone who assaults a paramedic should feel the full force of the law.”
Fat chance, unfortunately.
Another worthless pile of dogs-vomit who can't take their drink
unemployed. came up from somerset. drunk and a thug. this is what we pay are taxes for
just the usual rubbish. unemployed drunken thug assaults life saver. judges soft sentance. this is what we pay are taxes for. keep the judges in there ivory towers
What a joke. He should have been jailed.
how can a patrolling officer see something on cctv and why do people who werent there and dont know whats actually make a snap judgement about people they dont even know .
No messing with this scumbag send him to prison for 2 years
Brilliant, another harsh sentence. They really are doing a fine job in keeping the scum off the streets.
“I would not like him to be let off lightly"....
Well as usual in our courts; he did. When will judges and magistrates finally have to have competence tests?
Go on then Janine (possibly the girlfriend he was staying with), explain to me what circumstances there could possibly be where his actions are justified!
I tell you what, there aren't any, none whatsoever, so I think that we have all judged him correctly and you are infact the misguided one!
you all need to get a life.. you all complain about how the law works and its injustifacations yet all of you abide by it and respect it so wat does that say about you bunch of brainwashed and misguided souls.