Jailed for assaulting paramedic

A 53-year-old man has been jailed for two months for assaulting a paramedic.

Joseph Harkin, of Harvey Street, pleaded guilty to assaulting an ambulance worker on July 8.

Derry Magistrate’s Court heard Harkin went into the police station and asked to speak to police about something.

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However, he was he was highly intoxicated and couldn’t remember what this was.

An ambulance was tasked after police noticed Harkin was bleeding profusely from a cut on his hand.

The 53-year-old was initially calm when he went into the ambulance.

A short time later the paramedics came ‘rushing out’ of the ambulance and one of them said he had been assaulted.

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The court heard the 53-year-old became aggressive and swung a punch at the paramedic. He also spat at him.

It was revealed to the court the defendant has 173 previous convictions.

Defence solicitor, Kevin Casey, said this was not a case where his client ‘went to accident and emergency and sought to create chaos and mayhem’.

He told the court Harkin was ‘very, very intoxicated’ and has ‘no useful recollection’ about the incident.

The solicitor added that it was a ‘fairly unpleasant incident’ and spitting at a paramedic ‘is not the sort of thing Harkin approves of.’