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Paramedic tells of abuse terror
Terrified paramedic Daryen Lemmon has told how he had to use a chair to fend off an abusive patient.
Alcoholic Ian Hewitt faces jail after verbally attacking Sunderland ambulance staff who were trying to treat him.
Hewitt pleaded guilty to two public order offences and two counts of breaching an antisocial behaviour order (Asbo) when he appeared before Sunderland Magistrates' Court.
The court was told that paramedics were called to Hewitt's sister's house on April 5 after he collapsed.
Helen Wareham, prosecuting, said: "Because of his clear intoxication, they were concerned about him and decided to take him to hospital."
But the court heard that while Hewitt was being taken to hospital, the 44-year-old became abusive, calling one of the paramedics "fat" and saying: "I will get you."
Speaking to the Echo, paramedic Daryen, who was at the scene with his colleague John Spence, said: "We took him to Sunderland Royal Hospital casualty and when we opened the ambulance doors the patient began to get verbally aggressive.
"I asked him not to continue in this manner. However, he took no notice.
"He was very aggressive by this time and I admit I was terrified. I picked up a chair to try to fend him off.
"I warned him to back off and leave me alone more than three times, but it didn't deter him. He kept coming at me. My colleague was there, too, but he just aimed all his aggression towards me."
The incident came just over five months after Hewitt was racially abusive to a group of Iraqi men while being treated at Sunderland Royal Hospital.
The court heard that Hewitt was taken to the hospital on October 27 after walking into the Golden Fry chip shop in Durham Road. He was drunk and covered in blood.
Hewitt admitted that this was breaching an Asbo he had previously been given in September 2008, which prohibited him from drinking alcohol in a public place or going into public premises – other than licensed premises – while drunk.
The court was told that Hewitt breached his Asbo again on March 31 this year. Police saw him drinking alcohol out of a sports cup in Crowtree Road.
Angus Westgarth, defending, said Hewitt, of no fixed address, was battling alcoholism.
The court heard that Hewitt has been in custody since April 7 as a result of the latest incident and he wants to get help for his addiction.
Mr Westgarth added that in the incident involving the paramedic, Hewitt "lost his temper" after one the ambulance staff made comments.
The case was adjourned for reports and Hewitt remains in custody until the next hearing on May 27.
John Pearson, chairman of the bench, said magistrates believed the offences were so serious that up to 26 weeks in custody on each imprisonable offence would be appropriate.
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Weather for Sunderland
Saturday 04 February 2012
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