How Can This Incident Carry Such A Lenient Sentence?

[Pocket_Rocket]

he family of the poor guy who died must be jumping up and down with anger after watching this video - I know I would be.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-31429726

[Pocket_Rocket]

Thanks Anne.

[ummmm]

What sort of sentence do you think he should have got? Taking into consideration that some people who have caused death by dangerous driving have also received suspended sentences.

[Pocket_Rocket]

Ummm - I think he should at least have to serve the sentence meted out to him, and not have it suspended for 2 years. I also think that the law for people who cause death by dangerous driving and/or similar should be changed. These acts should not be treated as a 'motoring offence. Murder/manslaughter should be regarded the same whether driving or not IMO.

[Gromit]

Once the ambulance had delivered Mr Cope to the hospital, he was not in the paramedics care, he was in the hospital's.

That is not to say he shouldn't have helped, of course he should, but if anyone failed in their duty, it was the A&E Department for not giving Mr Cope greater priority.

[Pocket_Rocket]

Thanks Gromit. I understand and agree with what you have said. But, I still don't understand the leniency. Why eight months, suspended for 2 years?

[Bazile]

Surely someone presenting to an A&E department , with symptoms of chest pain should be wheeled straight in and seen to , straightaway ?

[hc4361]

Usually people are punished because the did something such as stab a person or did something badly, for example caused a death by dangerous driving.

This paramedic has been charged for doing nothing. He was not the only one, four other members of staff walked past that man and ignored him.

The paramedic had responded to Mr Cole's call for an ambulance and en route to the hospital an ECG test concluded that the pains were not cardiac related. Mr Cole was passed to the hospital staff.
Mr Cole later walked out of the hospital, went to a shop and collapsed outside the hospital when he returned. The paramedic believed him to be drunk and called security to deal with him.

I think the sentence is right and fair. Why weren't the other 4 hospital staff charged with the same offence?

As for treating a death caused by drink driving to be classed as murder is wrong. There is no intent to kill in the driving cases which is a requisite to make a charge of murder.

[Pocket_Rocket]

hc4361 I appreciate your input.
In response, I would say the other 4 staff should have been punished. But only that paramedic was found guilty and sentenced to eight months. Nobody has yet justified why the sentence has been suspended for two years.

[hc4361]

Because of his defence. He claims that at the time he believed he was acting reasonably, he had no reason to doubt that his belief that Mr Cope was drunk was wrong. He reasonably believed that Mr Cope had been discharged from the hospital. He was not directly responsible for Mr Cope as he had already been passed to A&E. He believed asking the security guard was the proper thing to do. Hospital staff routinely call security to deal with drunks.
He had a previously good record at work.

[Pocket_Rocket]

OK - thank you.