Connect with us
Advertisement
Advertisement

Crime

The Bank Holiday plea as emergency worker assaults continue to rise

Published

on

EMERGENCY workers in Wales are reminding the public to treat them with respect in the face of a continued rise in assaults.

The monthly average of emergency worker assaults has increased from 203 in 2019, to 226 in 2020, to 237 in 2021, representing a year-on-year increase of 4.9 per cent.

More than 1,440 assaults were committed in the six-month period 01 July 2021 to 31 December 2021, new figures have revealed.

The top five most common types of assault were kicking, spitting, verbal abuse, punching and shoving.

Among the victims is Joanna Paskell, a paramedic in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, who was assaulted last May by a patient at Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales.

Joanna, an ambulance worker of 25 years, was subsequently left with panic attacks.

The mother-of-four recalls: “It was while we were trying to move the patient from the trolley to a bed that she lashed out and punched me straight in the chest.

“I was stunned as it was completely out of the blue, and there had been no indication that she was going to get aggressive.

“Although shaken, I thought nothing of it at the time, just taking painkillers for the pain.

“It was only as I was getting ready for my next shift that realisation dawned, and I actually had a panic attack.

“I subsequently had to take time off work.

“It took a lot for me to come back, and even now, I’m very cautious around patients.”

Meanwhile, Andy Davies, a paramedic in Llangefni, Anglesey, was left with a dislocated shoulder when he was assaulted by a patient last June.

Andy recalls: “The patient was becoming verbally aggressive to the point where we actually called for police back-up.

“As I tried to assess him, he threw me to the floor, partially dislocating my left shoulder.

“I had to have six weeks of physiotherapy afterwards to help me recover from the injury.

“I’m ex-military police so I’m quite good at compartmentalising these things, but it doesn’t mean to say we should accept it.”

Ahead of the extended Bank Holiday weekend, when assaults will typically spike, emergency workers are appealing to the public to treat them with respect.

Jason Killens, Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: “The last couple of years have been a fraught time for all of us, but that’s no excuse to assault an emergency worker, who are people, just like you and I.

“With a Bank Holiday weekend comes lots of people enjoying the revelry, and with alcohol consumption usually comes an increase in assaults.

“There were 80 verbal attacks alone on our ambulance control room staff in the second half of last year.

“We know it’s distressing when you’re waiting for help, but abusing our call handlers is not the answer – if anything, it could potentially delay help.

“On the road meanwhile, crews might have no choice but to leave a scene if their safety is compromised, and that’s not helpful for anyone, especially the patient.

“The debt of gratitude we owe to our emergency workers has never been greater, so please treat them with respect.”

In the six-month reporting period, almost half of emergency worker assaults took place in South East Wales; Cardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bridgend were the most prolific local authority areas.

For 2021 as a whole, Denbighshire in North Wales had the highest rate of emergency worker assaults at 1.24 per 1,000 population.

Offenders aged 26-35 account for the highest portion of offending (21.9 per cent), and alcohol intoxication continues to apply to a third of incidents.

Twenty three incidents involved the use or threat of use of a weapon, eight of which caused injury to the victim.

 Assaults on police account for more than two thirds of the total number; there were an average 165 victims each month in 2021, up from 152 in 2020.

Pam Kelly, Chief Constable at Gwent Police, said: “Every day, our officers are working to protect and serve local residents and businesses.   

“Being a victim of hate crime or being assaulted on duty is not acceptable for members of our own community as they go about their job.

“We already ask a lot of our officers and staff in the course of their working day as they often deal with situations most of us hope never to encounter. 

“Working where the threat of verbal or physical assault is an increasing possibility makes the role even more challenging. 

“We work hard to support any officer who has faced this situation and we will take firm action against those individuals who cause them harm.”

Carl Foulkes, Chief Constable at North Wales Police, added: “Every single day our officers, staff and volunteers are often dealing with very difficult and challenging situations, putting themselves in harm’s way to uphold the law and protect the public.

“They must be able to carry out their duties as safely as possible.

“Being assaulted is not and should never be regarded as ‘part of the job’.

“Assault is a traumatic offence that causes great distress to anyone, and it is no different when the victim is an emergency worker.

“It is wholly unacceptable for them to be threatened, attacked, verbally abused or spat at – and those responsible should face the full force of the law.

“Assaults stay with the victims for the rest of their careers, and none of my officers and staff should have to go to work serving the public and be afraid of being assaulted.

“With the busy summer season almost upon us, please respect and protect our emergency workers.”

May 2021 saw the highest volume of emergency worker assaults with 294, rising as Covid-19 restrictions were eased across Wales.

More than 100 instances are known to be Covid-19-related, for example, where an assault occurred during police attendance for a breach of regulations.

Under the Assault on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act, the definition of an emergency worker includes police, fire and ambulance staff, as well as prison staff and NHS workers.

Judith Paget, Chief Executive of NHS Wales, said: “Emergency workers provide life-saving and life-changing care every day in often difficult circumstances and deserve to be treated with respect.

“Any form of attack on emergency workers is completely unacceptable and can have a significant impact on someone’s mental health and wellbeing.

“During the pandemic emergency workers worked tirelessly on the frontline to keep Wales safe and now they deserve to feel safe and appreciated for the great work they do.

“We must all work together to reduce their risk of being exposed to violence.”

This month marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of the With Us, Not Against Us campaign, created by the Joint Emergency Service Group in Wales to try and reduce the number of assaults on emergency workers.

You can pledge your support on social media using the hashtag #WithUsNotAgainstUs or #GydaNiNidYnEinHerbyn.

Crime

Youth, 19, appears in court over Tenby stabbing incident

Published

on

A YOUNG man accused of stabbing a teenager in a Tenby housing estate on Monday (July 14) has been remanded in custody after appearing before magistrates.

OLIVER DOWLING, aged 19, of Newell Hill, Tenby, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (July 17) charged with three offences — including wounding with intent, possessing a knife in a public place, and possession of cannabis.

The charges relate to a serious incident on Hafalnod estate, where Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed a man was taken to hospital after being stabbed with a knife. The victim, named in court as JOSH ALLEN, is recovering from his injuries, which are not believed to be life-threatening.

Dowling faces the following charges:

Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861),

Possession of a bladed article in a public place, namely a kitchen knife, on Hafalnod estate,

Possession of a quantity of cannabis, a Class B drug.

No pleas were entered, and magistrates declined bail on the grounds that Dowling was likely to reoffend and could interfere with witnesses. He was remanded in custody ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing at Swansea Crown Court on August 18 at 9:00am.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed a 20-year-old man had been arrested shortly after the incident and that no other individuals are being sought in connection with the matter.

A police spokesperson said: “There continues to be an increased police presence within the area, and if anyone has any concerns please speak to those officers.”

Continue Reading

Crime

Full justice devolution ‘not on the agenda’

Published

on

A UNITED Kingdom minister appeared to “row back” on a commitment to devolve powers over probation and youth justice to Wales, with Westminster set to retain responsibility.

In 2019, an independent commission – led by Lord Thomas, the former head of the judiciary recommended that justice policy should be “determined and delivered” in Wales.

But, nearly six years on, devolution has stalled, with Welsh and UK ministers suggesting a phased and piecemeal approach to transferring powers as happened in Greater Manchester.

In November, a report set out three options for devolution: transfer of executive powers, full law-making and executive responsibilities, or an agreement on commissioning services.

And, giving evidence to the Senedd equality and social justice committee today, ministers implied the Welsh and UK Governments will pursue the co-commissioning model.

Lord Timpson, the UK prisons and probation minister, intimated that devolution would not be a priority amid “massive pressures” on the justice system.

Mick Antoniw, the former counsel general or chief legal adviser to the Welsh Government, pointed to “volumes of evidence” that devolution of probation “needs to happen and quickly”.

Senedd counsel general Mick Antoniw
Labour MS Mick Antoniw

Lord Timpson, who lives over the border but near HMP Berwyn, one of the UK’s biggest prisons, said colleagues have had a meeting on local delivery options for youth justice.

He told the committee UK ministers would look at the Greater Manchester model but he cautioned of “huge” pressures and a need for stability.

“If we lurch from problem to problem, we are just going to put sticking plasters all over everything,” he said, advocating “sensible, sustainable and evidence-led” policy instead.

Lord Timpson stated he was more concerned about challenges in probation than prisons – warning the service is unstable, with probation officers having an average caseload of 35.

Mr Antoniw pressed his Labour colleague about the need to transfer powers over probation, given that many of the levers for keeping people out of prison are devolved.

“It seems to me there’s no logical response to that other than we’ve had a decade of delay on actually looking at the enormous accumulation of evidence,” he said.

“What you seem to be suggesting is that we’re going to go through that process of just continually looking at the evidence without ever really coming to a proper conclusion.”

Lord Timpson – who was chief executive of Timpson, the retailer founded by his father Sir John, until 2024 – warned probation remained “bruised” from previous reforms.

“We need to be in a much more stable position before we can start talking about further changes,” he said, referring to the Conservatives’ “transforming rehabilitation” programme.

Pressed by Adam Price, the former MP and ex-Plaid Cymru leader, Lord Timpson suggested devolution will not be a priority until “massive pressures” stabilise.

Plaid Cymru MS Adam Price
Plaid Cymru MS Adam Price

Mr Price pointed out that powers over budgets and making laws would remain at Westminster under a co-commissioning model similar to Manchester’s.

He asked: “Are you saying that… the full devolution of executive and legislative powers, that’s not something that is on your agenda?”

Lord Timpson reiterated his focus on making prison and probation services sustainable. Pinned down on the point, the politician replied: “I’m not ruling anything out, I’m not ruling anything in. What I’m focused on is trying to sort out the crisis in our justice system.”

Labour’s Jenny Rathbone questioned why more than 25% of the 5,000 Welsh prisoners are held in English jails when Wales has nearly 6,000 prison places of its own.

Labour MS Jenny Rathbone
Labour MS Jenny Rathbone

Lord Timpson pointed to capacity pressures with prisons 98.2% full, security in terms of organised crime, and the lack of a category A (high risk) or women’s prison in Wales.

He told the committee: “We need to use the estate really efficiently and that means, unfortunately, some Welsh prisoners are not in prisons in Wales.”

Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, expressed concerns about research showing Wales has the highest imprisonment rate in western Europe.

Jane Dodds MS, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats
Jane Dodds MS, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats

Lord Timpson replied: “80% of offending is reoffending and, clearly, something has been going wrong for a long time. Our prisons are growing and we’re going to have more people in prison by the time of the next election than at any other time in our history.”

In 2019, a Cardiff University report warned of the “jagged edge” of justice, with intersecting responsibilities and Wales often overlooked by Westminster.

Ms Rathbone, who chairs the committee, warned: “I’m concerned about stabilising a broken system because it’s costing a fortune to the taxpayer and the individuals caught up in it.”

She called for an explanation of “no progress” on matters that have been “discussed endlessly for decades”, citing the example of a women’s residential centre in Swansea.

Lord Timpson said: “I think we need to look at the options, we need to look at the costs,” adding that the key is how to divert women from the justice system in the first place.

Altaf Hussain, a Conservative Senedd Member, expressed concerns about deaths at HMP Parc amid a “serious decline in standards” at the prison in Bridgend.

Conservative MS Altaf Hussain
Conservative MS Altaf Hussain

Lord Timpson, whose younger brother was a Tory MP, replied: “They’ve obviously had a terrible number of self-inflicted deaths at the prison but I think things feel far more stable.”

He said the governor told him 98% of problems are down to drugs, with drone-proof windows set to be installed by August 2026. “That will make a significant difference,” he said.

Ms Dodds raised wider problems: “The prison inspectorate reported there’s not enough food to eat, prisoners are stuck in their cells 21 hours a day [and] self harm has gone up by 60%.”

Lord Timpson stressed the Labour UK Government inherited a system in crisis. “I’ve never known it so bad,” he said, pointing to “big strides” over the past 12 months.

He left the scrutiny session more than 20 minutes early to vote in the House of Lords.

Following the meeting on July 14, the Senedd’s equality and justice committee criticised the “deeply disappointing” evidence from Lord Timpson.

Ms Rathbone said “We are very disappointed to hear Lord Timpson say that the UK Government could row back its promises on the devolution of youth justice and probation.

“These policies were supported by several significant constitutional reports and endorsed by the independent commission on the constitutional future of Wales.

“The report from Gordon Brown’s commission on the UK’s future said new powers over youth justice and the probation service should be made available…

“The Welsh Government has already started the groundwork to prepare because it believed there was a realistic prospect that these aspects could be devolved soon.

“This is in stark contrast to Lord Timpson’s evidence before the committee today which seemed to pour cold water on the prospect.”

Continue Reading

Crime

Trial to take place over shoplifting allegation in Pembroke Dock

Published

on

A PEMBROKESHIRE man now living in Swansea has been remanded in custody ahead of a trial later this month over an alleged theft from a Home Bargains store in Pembroke Dock.

GARETH MANN, aged 48, of no fixed address but previously linked to the St Thomas area of Swansea, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (July 14) for a case mention hearing.

Mann is accused of stealing hair clips and various other items of unknown value from the Home Bargains store on Pier Road on June 7. He pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing on June 9.

Magistrates were told that Mann remains in custody and is a recalled prisoner. He has been refused bail on the basis of the nature and seriousness of the offence, his previous record, and concerns that he may fail to attend court or commit further offences.

The trial is scheduled to take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday, July 21, at 2:00pm. It is expected to last around 20 minutes.

The case is being prosecuted by Sian Vaughan, with Alaw Harries representing the defendant. The bench was made up of Mr C Pattison, Mr L Evetts and Mr A Smith.

Continue Reading

Business6 hours ago

Fishguard Port upgrade scheme lodged with national park

THE EARLY early stages of a scheme for a new link bridge and floating pontoon for Fishguard’s ferry and associated...

Farming22 hours ago

Farming future at a crossroads as final Welsh support scheme unveiled

Unions, politicians and sector leaders respond to ‘once-in-a-generation’ changes in land policy THE FINAL version of the Welsh Government’s Sustainable...

News2 days ago

Fresh storm hits Neyland Town Council over church ceremony outburst

Councillor demands mayor’s resignation after ‘diatribe of hatred’ in chapel. Town Clerk responds as tribunal looms for accuser — mayor...

Crime3 days ago

Gran ‘attacked with rock near school gates’, court told

Woman ‘dragged victim by hair and gouged eyes’ in front of children A PEMBROKE DOCK woman has been accused of...

Crime3 days ago

Man arrested after stabbing in Tenby housing estate

A MAN was taken to hospital with stab wounds following a serious incident in a quiet residential estate in Tenby...

Charity3 days ago

Swimmer with 1% chance of survival returns to Newgale to thank lifesavers

London woman reunited with Wales Air Ambulance medics one year after near-fatal sea rescue A LONDON woman who was given...

News4 days ago

Inquest opens into tragic A478 Blood Bike crash

AN INQUEST has been opened into the death of a retired Blood Bikes Wales volunteer who died following a crash...

Crime4 days ago

Carmarthen link to baby manslaughter case: Couple camped on wasteland behind Tesco

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon once lived rough by Five Fields Allotments before baby’s tragic death in Brighton A COUPLE...

Community4 days ago

Summer Safety Fest brings positive change in Milford Haven

Under-the-bridge event tackles anti-social behaviour through community collaboration MILFORD Marina was transformed into a hub of activity and community spirit...

Business4 days ago

Port Talbot steelworks enters green era – but thousands already out of work

5,000 jobs secured as electric arc furnace construction begins, but unions call transition ‘bittersweet’ WORK has officially begun on a...

Popular This Week