An off duty Paramedic based on the Isle of Man with over 25 years of dedicated service has been handed down a £360 fine and 9 points on his licence after he rushed to a local prison following reports of a prison officer who had been stabbed in the head by an inmate.
On IOMToday.co.im it was reported that Douglas Scott was clocked driving at 66 mph in a 30mph zone in his own vehicle at Douglas Road Corner in Kirk Michael on January 17 2018.
In court, he admitted the offence and had his licence endorsed with nine penalty points.
His defence solicitor, Peter Russell, told the court how his client was a paramedic with 25 years service and had recently been promoted to a managerial role within the service.
Mr Russell said that after he heard about the Prison Officer being stabbed in the head, he felt compelled to get to the prison in order to offer some potentially life-saving help.
Mr Russell stated: ’In his mind it was an emergency, though it would not be classed in law as one,’ he said. ’He was braking as he went through the 30mph zone reducing his speed. He was distracted and should have put the brakes on earlier.
’He had genuine concern as it was quite a significant event at the prison.’
Whilst its probably not advisable to rush to an incident in your own car, I personally think that treating Mr Scott in the same manner as what a member of the public MIGHT get treated for speeding is a tad unfair.
Not only was Mr Scott trying to potentially save someone’s life, but he also has received advanced driver training that means he is used to driving at speed – albeit in a marked emergency vehicle.
9 points and a £360 fine seems a bit harsh.
Of course, I understand that off-duty (are you ever really off duty!?) emergency services personnel cannot be seen to respond to incidents in their own vehicle, but I personally think that a lesser penalty would have still got the message across.
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the law is an ass sir
Disgraceful treatment of a Paramedic trying to save a life 😡
He was not driving an emergency vehicle and had no reason to be responding to this ‘call’ therefore he was a member of the public, however concerned, twice exceeding the posted speed limit. I would be intrigued as to how he ‘had heard’ about the stabbing but, until he had been mobilised by his ambulance control, he was a concerned member of the public and his driving standard will be judged as a member of the public.
David Joycd, The gentleman was an Officer who most probably received a call from the control as they do!, unfortunately as a Paramedic or any other member of the Emergency Services then you are never really off duty. All i can say is that i hope yourself, or the idiot judge dont require an Ambulance quickly and have to wait, even know there may be an off duty Paramedic walking past your front door!!! oh sorry member of the public…Idiot!!!
Utterly ridiculous sentence end of!!!
A sketchy story with not a lot of info, but unless he was despatched by control and in a car with activated warning systems, he has no business even attending this call, let alone exceeding speed limits. He was lucky not to be charged with a more serious offence, and if he had caused an accident the book would quite rightly have been thrown at him, not least by his insurance company. Had he informed control that he was attending and on activated blue lights and sirens he would have been ok, but if not then he took a chance by breaking the law, and lost.
A paramedic is never off duty per se,as, if requested, he HAS to render aid,or he can face a HCPC hearing