Watford man jailed for attacking paramedic (From Watford Observer)

Watford man jailed for attacking paramedic

10:30am Wednesday 26th November 2008 in

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An ambulance driver was grabbed around the neck and spat at in the face by a man who had stopped him outside Watford football ground.

Paramedic Andrew Dunn was driving a patient to the town's hospital for dialysis treatment when Ishi Malik stood in the middle of Vicarage Road.

St Albans crown court heard yesterday that Mr Dunn said: "Please move out of the way. I have got a patient in the ambulance."

Malik, 33, replied: "Put your f***ing sirens on. I will kill you and kill your children."

He grabbed Mr Dunn and spat in his face and onto his shoulder, said prosecutor Rebecca Smith.

The ambulance driver managed to push Malik away and kept him in his sights until the police arrived. Malik called the officers "filth". When they searched his bag they found a knife.

Shortly before confronting the ambulance man Malik had been in Hagden Lane at around 11.30am, where he was shouting at a woman, calling her a "slut”.

He then turned his attention to two roofers, Danny Smith and Sam Bolt. He said to Mr Bolt: "I will f***ing kill you. What are you looking at."

When Mr Smith told him to go away he told him to remember September 11 and said he had killed his wife and children. He went on: "I tell you what white boy I have something to for you."

The prosecutor said Malik then pulled the 6 inch kitchen knife from his bag.

Mr Smith grabbed roof tiles and Mr Bolt picked up a spade to ward Malik off.

He shouted: "Let's go to the park. I am going to stab it into both of you, let's go." He then walked off into Vicarage Road.

Malik, of Brightwell Road, Watford, appeared for sentencing, having pleaded guilty to causing affray on June 12, possessing a kitchen knife and common assault.

He had 17 previous court appearances for over 30 offences. In 1995 and 2003 he had been arrested for having knives.

Defence barrister James Wing said Malik was an extremely troubled man who had suffered from anxiety and hallucinations. At the time he committed his latest offences he was under the influence of heroin and alcohol and had not taken his medication, he said.

"He suffers from a large number of serious mental health problems. Without medication he behaves erratically," he said.

Judge Marie Catterson jailed him for a total of 13 months. She said: "You behaved to two men simply doing their work in a way which no member of the public should have to put up with. You behaviour was really intolerable when you gratuitously stopped the ambulance and spat at the driver. It was a particularly odious piece of behaviour."

Last week it was revealed ambulance staff were assaulted 84 times as they tried to treat injured patients over the past year.