Verdict for man who urinated in ambulance
Thursday, 13 May, 2010
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) today expressed delight at the sentence given to a 30 year old man, after he caused damaged and urinated in an ambulance.
Paul Ashworth was sentenced to a 14 day custodial sentence and ordered to pay £300 compensation at Blackburn Magistrates Court.
On 8 October 2009, an ambulance crew was called to Hammerton Street in Burnley to help Ashworth. The crew began the journey to Royal Blackburn Hospital but he became abusive and repeatedly kicked a cupboard in the ambulance causing damage to it, before urinating in the emergency vehicle.
Director of Emergency Service for NWAS, Derek Cartwright, said: "There is an unacceptable level of abuse directed towards ambulance staff and emergency vehicles. When someone causes mindless damage to an emergency vehicle they are putting lives at risk because that ambulance has to be taken off the road for repairs. The Trust welcomes Ashworth's sentence and hopes it sends out a very clear message to anyone who behaves like this, that they face the possibility of prosecution
