Government reviews mandatory sentencing law that allowed paramedic basher to avoid jail
PARAMEDICS are fed up with a lack of action over violence against them — scribbling messages on the back of ambulances to express their anger after two women who bashed an ambulance officer walked free from court.
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PARAMEDICS are fed up with a lack of action over violence against them — scribbling messages on the back of ambulances to express their anger after two women who bashed an ambulance officer walked free from court.
The State Government is working to close loopholes on mandatory sentencing for attacking emergency service workers, after the pair avoided a mandatory term yesterday.
Health Minister Jill Hennessy slammed the “frustrating” County Court decision that has pushed the sentencing laws back into the spotlight.
The State Government has previously come under fire for allowing violent thugs to avoid the mandatory six-month jail term.
PARAMEDIC’S INJUSTICE AS HIS BASHERS AVOID JAIL
WOMEN PLEAD GUILTY TO BASHING PARAMEDIC
The decision has prompted paramedics to scribble the message “it’s not OK to assault paramedics” on ambulances.
The Department of Justice is reviewing the laws, particularly the special exemption clause that provides leniency for factors including mental health and being drug or alcohol affected.
“It is never OK to be violent towards a paramedic,” Ms Hennessy said.
“The special reasons exemption that exists in the legislation has not produced the outcome that our government wants and that’s why the Attorney-General has instructed the Department of Justice and Regulation to provide advice and drafting options around changing these laws.”
Ms Hennessy added: “Ultimately we want accountability for those who are violent towards paramedics.”
County Court judge Barbara Cotterell said yesterday that sending Amanda Warren, 31, and Caris Underwood, 20, to prison “would achieve little”.
The pair, both drunk, punched and kicked paramedic Paul Judd as he attended to a patient in Reservoir in April 2016, breaking his foot.
Warren also got behind the wheel of a car and rammed the ambulance.
Both were originally sentenced to months-long prison terms but walked free from court on appeal yesterday.
Warren was handed a 14-day sentence, already served on remand, and a three-year community corrections order.
Underwood was given a two-year order.
Shadow Attorney-General John Pesutto said courts were refusing to apply laws the way Parliament intended.
“Courts have ignored the clear parliamentary intention behind those laws and have, by extension, dismissed community concerns about how seriously violence against our first responders ought to be treated,” he said.
Every truck! Every branch!#itsneverok#springst pic.twitter.com/zohMfHqoBy
— Danny Hill (@DannyHillAEAVIC) May 15, 2018
Ambulance Victoria boss Tony Walker said there was ”a lot of anger and frustration” across the workforce.
“Sadly, every 50 hours in this state a paramedic is verbally or physically assaulted,” he said.
“Fourteen times a day, paramedics are putting in reports of being exposed to violent situations as part of their normal day-to-day work.
“Attacking a paramedic, assaulting a paramedic is unacceptable.
“It would never be acceptable in any other workplace, it is acceptable in ours.”
The government hopes the changes could pass parliament later this year.