Thursday, November 19, 2009
** Queensland ambulance union calling for self defence training after sexual assault of female medic
** Kentucky EMT responsible for fatal ambulance crash attempts to strike plea deal
** UK paramedic faces court on child porn possession charges
AUSTRALIA NEWS
** Queensland’s ambulance union is lobbying for self defence training after a female medic was sexually assaulted by a patient while in the back of the EMS unit. The Courier Mail (Janelle Miles/Sophie Elsworth/November 18) said the attack, which took place last Friday night, played out with the medic’s male partner stopping the unit and taking over care. According to the newspaper, the 28-year-old male patient pulled the female practitioner onto him and fondled her breasts. He was initially being treated after passing out from a drug overdose. He is set to appear in court on assault charges December 10. Union spokesman Gary Bullock, meanwhile, said the incident provides more evidence for the need for the service to teach providers how to defend themselves.
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A Louisville, Kentucky EMT, who had taken methadone at the time she was involved in a fatal ambulance crash, is attempting to strike a plea deal to avoid a lengthy jail sentence. That is the word from WLKY (Andy Alcock/November 18) which said an attorney for Tammy Brewer has pitched to the prosecution that Brewer spend five years behind bars instead of the proposed 15. Both sides have until December 17 to come to an accord before the matter is bound over for trial in February. According to the news station, Brewer was behind the wheel of her EMS unit in April 2008 when she lost control of the vehicle;54-year-old patient Vicki Whobrey died in the crash. Brewer has faced the law before under similar circumstances. Prior to being hired by Metro EMS, she had been arrested and charged with reckless driving and methadone possession.
UNITED KINGDOM NEWS
** A Sleaford paramedic has had his court case on child porn possession charges set for January 8. This is Lincolnshire (November 18) said Jason Williams, 40, appeared before Boston Magistrates Court Tuesday. According to the newspaper, Williams did not enter a plea to one charge of possession of indecent images of children and 10 tags of making indecent images of children. Police found the offensive snaps on his computer during a raid in April. Children as young as five-years-old were depicted. In total, some 1,300 indecent photos were discovered.
