Anger as Thug Who TWICE Headbutted Emergency Medical Technician is Given Suspended Sentence

A Justice System That Repeatedly Fails Our Emergency Workers

The brutal truth about violence against emergency workers has been exposed yet again, as an EMT—left physically and emotionally shattered by a violent attack—grapples with the aftermath while her assailant escapes with a mere suspended sentence. This, despite the endless false promises from politicians that those who attack emergency responders will face the full force of the law.

Joanne Jones, an Emergency Ambulance Practitioner with the Welsh Ambulance Service, was headbutted twice by a patient, leaving her with a bloodied nose and a potential fracture to her jaw. The vicious attack in 2023, compounded by a string of other incidents—including a terrifying verbal assault last June—has left the 47-year-old mother-of-two who has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and unable to work.

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“My aim is to come back to work, but the thought of it still makes me feel physically sick,” Joanne admitted, illustrating the deep emotional and psychological toll the assault has taken. She has since been undergoing prolonged exposure therapy and regular counselling in an effort to reclaim her life.

Yet, despite the devastating impact of this attack, her attacker, 24-year-old Bradley Roberts of Rhos-on-Sea, received what many are calling a woefully inadequate punishment. At Llandudno Magistrates’ Court, Roberts was sentenced to 52 weeks imprisonment—suspended for 24 months—after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH). He was also ordered to pay a mere £400 in compensation to Joanne.

The decision has sparked outrage, particularly among emergency service personnel who continually put their lives at risk for the public, only to face growing threats of violence with little deterrence from the justice system. Jason Killens, Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, did not mince words when addressing the wider implications of such leniency.

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“A split-second act of violence can have a devastating and long-term impact on our staff and volunteers,” he stated. “Joanne is a living example of that, and it’s heartbreaking that she continues to bear the physical and emotional scars of what happened. Any form of violence or aggression against ambulance workers is completely unacceptable, which is why we will always seek prosecution for those who harm our people.”

Killens also issued a direct plea to the judiciary, urging them to use the full extent of their sentencing powers when dealing with these cases. “Assault of an emergency worker is an aggravating factor and should be regarded as a more serious offence,” he emphasised. Yet, despite such calls, cases like Joanne’s continue to highlight the failure of the justice system to deliver meaningful consequences.

The statistics paint an alarming picture. More than 3,000 assaults were committed against Welsh emergency workers in the 12 months to June 2024—a staggering nine percent year-on-year increase. The With Us, Not Against Us campaign, launched by the Joint Emergency Service Group in Wales in May 2021, aims to address this crisis, but as cases like Joanne’s show, stronger sentencing is needed to send a clear message that such attacks will not be tolerated.

Joanne’s journey to recovery remains an uphill battle. She was on placement at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in July 2023 when the attack occurred. She recalls the harrowing moment vividly: “We had just transferred him to a hospital trolley when he became entangled in the various tubes and wires. As I tried to untangle him, he became aggressive and started thrashing around. That’s when he moved his head back and went full throttle, headbutting me twice, and continued to punch and kick out until other members of staff could restrain him.”

The attack left her physically injured and emotionally shattered. “I could feel my face swelling, so I had to go and present at the emergency department as a patient. As I was chatting to the triage nurse, my nose just exploded with blood,” she recounted.

Her ordeal didn’t end there. The pain from her injuries meant she couldn’t eat or drink for days, and more than a year later, she still has no sensation in the right side of her face, including her bottom lip. The continuous exposure to violence, culminating in a terrifying death threat from another patient last June, pushed her over the edge. “That was the last straw,” she said.

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While Joanne continues to fight for her recovery, her story is a stark reminder of the urgent need for stronger protections for emergency workers. A suspended sentence for a violent attack that has left a frontline worker physically and emotionally scarred is not justice—it’s an insult.

How many more paramedics, police officers, and firefighters need to be assaulted before the courts take these crimes seriously? Emergency service workers risk their lives for us daily; the least they deserve is a legal system that has their back.

If you support stronger protections for emergency workers, share Joanne’s story and help push for real change. The time for leniency is over.

Opinion: The Judiciary's Double Standards on Violence Against Emergency Workers

In the wake of last year's riots, we saw courts take a hard stance, jailing individuals for merely shouting at police officers—actions that, while disruptive, were non-violent. Yet, when it comes to physical assaults on emergency workers, the justice system often seems to falter, leaving many to question where its priorities lie.

Let's talk about Joanne Jones, an Emergency Ambulance Practitioner with the Welsh Ambulance Service, who was brutally headbutted not once, but twice by a patient, Bradley Roberts. The attack left her with severe injuries, including a potentially fractured jaw and profound psychological trauma. This cowardly attack, underscores a disturbing trend where the punishment does not fit the crime. Joanne was left bleeding, in pain, and unable to work, yet her attacker was handed a suspended sentence of 52 weeks, to be served only if he breaches certain conditions within 24 months, along with a meagre compensation of £400.

This raises a critical question: why such leniency for a violent act against someone who was on duty to save lives? The courts have shown they can act decisively when it comes to protecting police officers during public disturbances, so why the hesitation when an emergency ambulance worker is the victim?