Good Things Festival: Matthew Patterson faces hearing over impersonating emergency services officer

A self proclaimed paramedic was busted doing a “bogus examination” on a woman’s ankle injury at a popular Sydney music festival. Here’s the latest from court.

Matthew Patterson outside Waverley Court House.

A self proclaimed paramedic was busted doing a “bogus examination” on a woman’s ankle injury at a popular Sydney music festival.

Matthew Patterson, from Glenmore Park, faced Waverley Local Court on Monday for a hearing where he was found guilty of impersonating an emergency services organisation officer.

The 45-year-old was found not guilty of common assault and the charge was dismissed.

The court heard the woman injured her ankle after stepping in a ditch at the Centennial Park festival about 8.45pm on December 2, 2023.

During the hearing the victim gave evidence she was told Patterson was an “off-duty ambo”.

Patterson pushed the woman’s ankle inward and asked if it hurt.

Patterson was found guilty of pretending to be a paramedic at a Good Things Festival.

The victim said she confirmed it was painful and he rolled her foot, declaring it not broken.

Nearby police began to question if Patterson was a qualified paramedic.

Officers asked him for identification which he said he did not have, but added he had completed first aid training, the court heard.

The woman had to wear a moon boot for a month after the incident. Picture: File

Shortly after a registered paramedic inspected the woman’s ankle and instructed her to get an X-ray, which revealed a bone fracture, the court heard.

Patterson gave evidence in court denying he had claimed to be an “off-duty ambo” or a “paramedic” and insisted he had told everyone he was just first aid trained.

The offender said he was “gentle” during the foot assessment and denied rolling the woman’s foot, the court heard.

“I don’t want to impersonate someone I’m not,” he said.

Patterson had also claimed to have worked in security, the court heard. Picture: iStock

Police prosecutor Paul Henningham argued Patterson falsely claimed to be a paramedic to act like his brother, who happened to be a registered paramedic.

“You were going to be a hero, you were coming in to save the day,” he said.

Mr Henningham submitted Patterson had attended the festival alone and shortly before the incident had dishonestly told a security guard he had worked in security to form a connection with him.

In response, Patterson’s lawyer Edward Gilson said the father of four told the guard he had friends in security, rather than referring to himself as a security guard.

Mr Gilson said the incident occurred in a “chaotic atmosphere” where people could have misheard what his client had said that night.

Magistrate Stephen Barlow said a lot of Patterson’s evidence was “lacking truth,” particularly when he denied rolling the woman’s ankle, which was something she was “adamant” about.

“He had the intention to deceive by stating he was a paramedic or an off-duty ambo. I think it gave him the opportunity to undertake that bogus examination,” he said.

Mr Barlow said the incident was an “ill-conceived folly by virtue of intoxication” and while “weird things happened at music festivals” there was not anything “particularly sinister” about the event.

Patterson was sentenced to a three-month conditional release order, without a conviction.

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