Paramedic treated in hospital after he was bitten during call out in Whiteabbey

A TEENAGER has ben charged after a paramedic was bitten during an emergency call out in Co Antrim.

The 19-year-old man has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, three counts of assault on police, common assault and two counts of criminal damage.

He is expected to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

The ambulance crew was called to a man in the Shore Road area of Whiteabbey on Wednesday evening.

The man needed treatment for cuts to his face, but when the ambulance crew arrived, he verbally and physically assaulted the crew.

The paramedic called for police back up and while waiting for the PSNI to arrive, the patient, who appeared to be very drunk, continued to attack the crew.

The man bit one paramedic on the hand, and he was arrested at the scene.

The paramedic was treated for his injury at Antrim Area Hospital.

A spokesman for the Ambulance Service condemned the attack.

“These verbal and physical assaults are a major source of concern for the trust as its staff should never be subject to abuse when responding to emergency calls, as their sole reason for being there is to provide medical help to those who need it.

“The trust would encourage the prosecution of all those who abuse and assault our staff as they go about their duties and would call for the heaviest possible penalties to be handed down to anyone found guilty of such an act.”