Blyth man jailed after ‘relentlessly’ verbally and physically abusing North East Ambulance Service staff

A Blyth timewaster who would relentlessly call the North East Ambulance Service, only to abuse staff when they showed up, has been jailed.
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Ross Fyfe, of Holystone Avenue, Blyth, was handed a Communtiy Behaviour Order (CBO) earlier this year for his prolific abuse of staff at the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS).

The 35-year-old would repeatedly make bogus calls to the NEAS and when staff attended, he would verbally and physically abuse them.

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On January 20, his ill-treatment of emergency workers peaked when he assaulted a paramedic by punching them in the stomach - leading to the order being imposed.

Under the terms of the CBO, Fyfe was prohibited from acting in an anti-social manner to emergency service workers and the wider public, as well as contacting services for any reason other than an emergency.

Ross Fyfe has been jailed for his persistent harassment of North East Ambulance Service staff. Ross Fyfe has been jailed for his persistent harassment of North East Ambulance Service staff.
Ross Fyfe has been jailed for his persistent harassment of North East Ambulance Service staff.

It took only 11 days for Fyfe to breach the order after paramedics attended his Blyth address following reports of him being in pain.

When they arrvied, Fyfe launched an onslaught of verbal abuse at them.

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As a result, he was arrested and placed into police custody.

He appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on March 10 where he was sentenced to four months in prison for breaching the CBO - the order remains in place for three years.

Jonathan Caisley, a Neighbourhood Inspector at Northumbria Police, said: “This is a fantastic result and shows just how resolutely Northumbria Police will continue to support our partners.

“People join the emergency services to help those most in need, however their valuable time is being wasted responding to spurious incidents such as these.

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“Demand on our ambulance service is at an all-time high, and we need to do everything we can to avoid wasting valuable resources which may be needed elsewhere.

“Instances such as these are a valuable reminder to only call 999 when there is an emergency. Both the police and NEAS have non-emergency numbers which should be used in such instances.

“Please ask yourself if the situation requires an emergency services response, or if there may be an agency more suited to respond to you.”

Stephen Segasby, Chief Operating Officer at NEAS, has highlighted that the service takes a zero-tolerance approach to abuse towards staff.

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He added: “Frequent callers take up considerable time for our service, which can impact our response to other patients. In a time where we have faced unprecedented pressure and demand, this has a significant impact to those in need.

“We recognise that often the reason someone becomes a frequent caller to 999 services is due to an unmet need and we have a dedicated team who work with GPs, mental health, and community healthcare partners to put plans in place to support such callers the best we can.

“Whilst we work to support frequent callers, we take a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse against our staff.

“Our people come to work to help the public of the North East and do not deserve to be abused or treated with disrespect while doing their job.”

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