Man who called ambulancemen 'perverts' avoids jail

Stephen Daniel Anthony Gaile (33), of Kylemore Road, Coleraine, was involved in the “terrifying” incident when an ambulance was called to a house in Coleraine to deal with the woman, a diabetic, who had passed out after a drinking session.

At Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday, Gaile avoided being sent to jail for threatening to kill and assaulting the emergency staff. The court heard the assaults were ‘technical’ and involved him lunging at the two ambulancemen. No contact was made during the 9.35pm incident at Westbourne Crescent in Coleraine on Monday September 26 2016.

A prosecutor said the ambulance staff withdrew from the house fearing the threat would be carried out before calling for police back-up.

Gaile had previously admitted two threat to kill charges and two assaults and the case had been adjourned for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Defence solicitor John Murphy said the defendant, who was in the dock, was ashamed of himself and realised such offending was “beyond the pale”

He said Gaile has alcohol problems and had been with with his aunt, who has diabetes, when she had passed out after a drinking session lasting “for days”.

Mr Murphy said his client had little memory of the incident.

District Judge Liam McNally said it had been recorded on a regular basis in his court and in others that people who commit such offences involving hospital and ambulance staff normally will be sent to prison.

Although there was no contact made with the staff, the judge said: “No doubt it must have been a terrifying experience for them”.

He said he would normally send people to jail for four months for such offences but in the long run, in this case, it was better placing Gaile on Probation with a condition that he participates in alcohol counselling and in the ‘Thinking Skills’ programme.