A man arrested for assaulting an ambulance worker on Christmas Day last year has been sentenced today at Newcastle Magistrates Court. He received a 12-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months and was ordered to pay compensation, after pleading guilty at Newcastle Crown Court earlier this year.
Whilst trying to care for others on 25 December 2025, a NEAS sole responder was returning to station in her rapid response car when she came across a person sat alone in the middle of the Moor Farm roundabout on the A19 in Northumberland. She stopped to help out of concern.
Initially, the person did not engage but during the exchange she reports the person turned to assault her.
She pressed her panic button which alerted a second emergency ambulance crew who were coincidentally passing the scene. They stopped to help, and a second crew member was then also physically assaulted.
An additional duty officer was then deployed, and it took three members of staff to restrain the man before the police arrived.
The responder, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been working for the service for twenty years and has been assaulted once before earlier in her career.
"I feel listened to and supported by today’s outcome. It sends a clear message that assaults on emergency service workers will not be tolerated. We come to work to help people, not to be attacked, and knowing the justice system takes these incidents seriously means a lot. Without strong consequences for this kind of behaviour, it risks becoming normalised — and that’s not something we can ever accept.”
Debbie Been, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor with CPS North East, said: “Our partners in the emergency services play a vital role in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the communities that we serve. Assaults against emergency workers are a crime, both against the individual victims and against society itself, with the potential to cause unnecessary disruption in the provision of care and support to other members of the public.
“I would like to assure anyone who places themselves at risk in the line of their duties that the Crown Prosecution Service works closely with police to build robust cases against perpetrators of violence or abuse against them, ensuring that they face swift and effective justice for their actions.”
Chief operating officer at North East Ambulance Service Stephen Segasby said, “We were shocked and disappointed that members of our team delivering care in our communities be hurt on Christmas Day.
“Our staff come to work to keep helping people who need them. They leave their own celebrations and families at Christmas, a special time of year, and it’s inconceivable that they come across any sort of harm in the line of duty, then or any other time. Thank you to all of our teams for supporting these and other staff harmed in the line of duty.”
With injuries to her arm and ribs following the event, the responder added, “I have two small children at home who were waiting for me to return home to celebrate Christmas. I’ve struggled with small things like brushing my hair, cutting up my dinner and most importantly, giving my kids cuddles – and that’s just the physical impact I need to recover from.
“Had there not been anyone close by to help I think it could have been a very different story. It’s just not acceptable – we were just trying to help.
The Trust has reported a significant rise in incidents of violence and aggression against staff, with a 103% increase over the last seven years. On average, ambulance workers now face 30 acts of aggression per week compared with just 9 in 2017/2018. This trend not only impacts staff wellbeing but also has wider consequences for patient care and the communities served.
Between 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 alone, there was a 43% increase in reported incidents, marking the highest annual total on record ay NEAS.
National figures published by the Ambulance Association of Chief Executives (AACE) in February 2025 echo this trend, showing that violence, aggression, and abuse against ambulance staff have reached their highest ever levels, with 22,536 cases reported in 2024/2025 – a 14.8% rise on the previous year.
Stephen Segasby continues, “The majority of incidents reported continue to stem from intimidating or disruptive behaviour, followed by verbal abuse and physical assaults. Contributory factors such as alcohol, drugs, and mental health remain the most common causes, with a notable rise in hate-related and sexual abuse incidents in recent years. Residential addresses remain the most common setting for such incidents, though cases are increasingly being reported inside ambulances, Emergency Operations Centres (EOC), and public places.”
In response, NEAS is working closely with local Police Forces, the Crown Prosecution Service, and partner agencies to reduce violence and better protect staff. Key initiatives include restorative justice approaches, intelligence sharing, and the use of body-worn video and vehicle CCTV. Internal campaigns such as #CallItOut and #WorkWithoutFear are encouraging staff to report incidents, while enhanced staff training, counselling, and support services are being made available. The Trust remains committed to reducing violence and aggression, supporting staff wellbeing, and ensuring ambulance teams can continue to deliver safe care to patients.