Man Sentenced to 20 Weeks for Assaulting Ambulance Crew

A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 weeks in prison after spitting at ambulance technicians during an emergency call. Dale Pickering, of Bishops Walk, Church Warsop, pleaded guilty to two counts of emergency worker assault and a further assault at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 26 May 2020.

Incident Details and Chronology

The ambulance was called to Wood Lane in Warsop on Saturday, 16 May, after a concerned member of the public spotted Pickering lying in the street. Upon arrival, Pickering became aggressive and spat towards the ambulance technician. The two emergency workers took Pickering to his home address, where he spat at another man and spat at the ambulance technician again, this time spitting in her face. He also repeatedly pushed the paramedic.

Impact on Emergency Workers

EMAS Ambulance Technician, Paula Page, who was responding with her paramedic husband Matthew from Kingsmill Ambulance Station, described the incident. She said: “We asked the patient if he could stop spitting by explaining the seriousness of passing on COVID-19 but he wouldn’t stop.” She expressed anger and upset at being treated in such a vile manner while trying to help someone in need.

Page also noted that they could not continue to respond to other patients due to the violent behaviour and had to assist the police with their enquiries. She highlighted the role of emergency workers in dealing with individuals who have consumed alcohol or taken illegal drugs, who may not behave as themselves.

Official Responses and Public Interest

Kelvin Langford, Local Security Management Specialist at EMAS, stated that assaults on staff are unacceptable and that a zero-tolerance approach is taken towards anyone who verbally or physically assaults them. He emphasized that frontline colleagues and those in the 999-control room are there to help people, not to be assaulted, and deserve respect.

Assistant Chief Constable Kate Meynell of Nottinghamshire Police expressed sympathy for the emergency workers who had to go through the ordeal. She noted the anxiety caused by the incident and the importance of taking such incidents seriously. She was pleased with the outcome, which shows that assaulting emergency workers will not be tolerated.

Additional Offences and Sentencing

Pickering also pleaded guilty and was handed a further 20-week sentence, suspended for 18 months, in relation to two drink-driving offences and a further assault. The first drink driving offence and the further assault occurred in Bishops Walk, Church Warsop on 27 January, when Pickering was involved in a collision and got out and kicked the driver of the other car.

Pickering was also caught drink-driving in Bishops Walk on 17 February. This conviction follows figures released on 20 May, which revealed that Nottinghamshire Police has investigated 89 incidents of key workers being spat or coughed at since Friday 20 March.

Collaborative Campaign Against Abuse

Nottinghamshire Police has joined forces with other emergency services and key worker agencies for a campaign to highlight the issue. A video has been launched by doctors, nurses, paramedics, police officers, prison officers, firefighters, and other frontline workers from across the county as they continue to work hard to spearhead the nationwide response to the outbreak.