Hospital visitor startled paramedics by climbing into ambulance and setting off blue lights

Michael Hogg, 25, climbed aboard at the city’s Royal Hospital and began pressing dashboard buttons, a court heard. Unbeknown to Hogg, three medics were in the rear going about their business.

They found him sitting upfront - and alerted security staff to his actions on Sunday, September 11. He appeared before magistrates in South Tyneside charged with causing harassment, alarm or distress.

Prosecutor Paul Anderson said: “What happened is that Mr Hogg was standing outside the hospital, at a particular place set aside for ambulances. There was an ambulance there, and the incident was caught on CCTV. He gets in and sits in the driver’s seat and starts pressing buttons, including the ignition starter button. He sets off the lights.

“There are three people in the rear of the ambulance, and they are concerned by what is happening. Security comes out and the police come. He is charged with attempted theft but that’s clearly not the offence. He says that he went in, and he knew that he didn’t have permission, and started pressing buttons. He says that he simply wanted to get the siren to go.

“He says he may have pressed the button for the ignition but that he didn’t want to start the vehicle, he didn’t want to start it up. He also said that he didn’t know there were paramedics in the back of the vehicle.”

Hogg, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to causing harassment, alarm or distress at court.

David Forrester, defending, said: “He’s had some mental health issues and he had gone to the hospital to tell them of the mental health trauma he’s had. He was told there was a six-hour wait. He’s gone back outside and in the state he was in, he seems to have formed the opinion that this was a good way to get attention.

“The people in the back are going to be caused some alarm by what is happening at the front. He’s a young man who seems perfectly pleasant and he seems to have a social conscience about what he should do. One can only assume he was having some sort of mental health panic at this time to behave this way.”

Magistrates fined Hogg, of Alderwood Close, Hart Station, Hartlepool, £40, along with £85 court costs and a £16 victim surcharge.