London paramedic team assaulted twice in one weekend

A paramedic told today how she and a colleague were attacked twice in two days, raising fresh concerns about assaults on London ambulance staff.

Catherine Maynard said they were spat on, physically assaulted and sworn at by one patient. A day later, another man headbutted her fellow medic in the chest and tried to throw her out of the ambulance onto the A4.

Ms Maynard, who is based at Fulham ambulance station, said: “I’d only been assaulted once in five years and then I’m assaulted twice in one weekend. It’s frustrating that we are sympathetic to so many people, and then we’re treated like this.”

The first incident happened at about 10.20pm on January 16 in Harrow Road, Wembley, when the crew was called to reports of a man being taken ill.

The patient, James Macky, 50, attacked both ambulance staff and then wedged himself under their vehicle. He was removed by police officers and arrested.

Hendon magistrates last month jailed him for 28 weeks after he pleaded guilty to five charges of assault and criminal damage.

On January 17, Ms Maynard and her colleague, who has asked not to be identified, came under attack again after being called to treat a patient near Cromwell Hospital in Kensington at 7.30pm. They said the man seemed agitated and became volatile.

“We were in the back of the ambulance and the man tried to push me out the doors onto the A4,” Ms Maynard recalled.

“He threw our equipment across the floor and headbutted my male colleague in the chest. Thankfully we managed to subdue him before police arrived.”