Peter Thistlethwaite: Trial begins for paramedic accused of sexually touching patients

The trial of a first aid paramedic accused of sexually touching nine young woman while working at train stations across Sydney has begun in the NSW District Court.

A paramedic accused of sexually touching nine young women under his care at train stations across Sydney allegedly pulled down the underwear of one patient before touching her groin area.

Peter John Thistlethwaite, 40, fronted the NSW District Court on Tuesday for the first day of his trial.

Thistlethwaite has pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of aggravated sexual touching and one count of aggravated indecent assault relating to nine women aged as young as 17.

The alleged offences happened throughout 2018 and 2019 during which time Thistlethwaite was employed as a paramedic for a company called Safety Australia, which carried out first aid care at Sydney train stations.

Peter Thistlethwaite. Picture: Adam Yip

The court heard the victims were allegedly treated by Thistlethwaite in private rooms after suffering from illnesses such as dizziness and fainting.

The court heard he would allegedly tell the victims to remove or lift up clothing so he could carry out tests including placing a stethoscope on their breasts.

Crown prosecutor Stephen Barlow spoke to the jury during his opening submissions and stated Thistlethwaite was not trained to carry out many of the invasive tests, and acted illegally while in a position of trust and authority.

He said on one occasion, in July 2019, he took off the underwear of a 25-year-old patient who had left a train at Redfern Train Station suffering from dizziness and cramps.

She was allegedly ushered into a first aid room with Thistlethwaite.

Peter Thistlethwaite (centre) leaving court. Picture: Adam Yip

“Without any warning he undid the button of her jeans and pulled them down to the upper line of her underwear,” Mr Barlow said.

He alleged Thistlethwaite then touched the woman’s skin and pulled her pants down further without consent.

“The accused pulled her jeans and underwear down to below her crotch. Her vagina was visible.”

Mr Barlow alleged Thistlethwaite then touched around the victim’s pubic area including her inner thigh.

“(First aid paramedics) are explicitly taught there is no reason to examine the genital area or pubic area of a female patient unless that patient is in labour,” Mr Barlow alleged.

The Crown prosecutor also alleged he showed the victim pictures of his tattoos, stored on his phone, including one on his buttocks.

Mr Barlow alleged when the victim left the train station she broke down in tears during a phone call to her mum and reported the incident to police.

Mr Barlow also alleged another woman had been sexually touched inside the same first aid room just hours earlier by Thistlethwaite, which involved his allegedly putting his hand down her underwear.

Thistlethwaite’s defence lawyer Stephen Russell will address the jury during his opening submissions on Wednesday.

The trial is expected to run for four to six weeks. The trial is continuing.