A man has been jailed after he pointed an imitation firearm at a paramedic, causing him to fear for his life.
Clive Monamy dialled 999 on the evening of 5 May, 2024, and requested an ambulance due to his mental health.
A South East Coast Ambulance employee responded to the address in Hide Gardens, Rustington, and was met with a barrage of abuse from the defendant.
Monamy refused any treatment – despite requesting it by telephone – so the paramedic decided to leave the address.
As he did so, the defendant said: “I have something for you,” and produced a black handgun from beneath a pillow and pointed it directly in the victim’s face.
Acting on instinct, the paramedic lunged at Monamy and disarmed him, before fleeing the address and calling police.
Officers attended and located the weapon, which was confirmed to be a BB gun. They arrested the 65-year-old, who was subsequently charged with possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
Monamy, who is retired, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment at Lewes Crown Court on 27 February.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Neil Winter, said: “This incident caused the paramedic to experience extreme distress, at a time when he was responding to the defendant’s call for assistance.
“Irrespective of his circumstances, this was a serious offence which genuinely caused the victim to fear for his life.
“This sort of behaviour towards emergency workers – or any member of the public for that matter – is totally unacceptable and any offenders can expect to be dealt with robustly by the courts.”
South East Coast Ambulance Service Security Manager, David Monk, said: “Our frontline colleagues attend incidents to provide care and compassion to those in need, and they should never have to face threats or violence while doing their job.
“This was an extremely frightening ordeal for our colleague, who was simply responding to a call for help. We will always work closely with the police to ensure that anyone who puts our staff at risk is held fully accountable for their actions.”
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