A magistrate has labelled a man who was in a drug-fuelled tussle that left a Wollongong paramedic injured as a "public menace".
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Bo Moran, 35, was sentenced in Wollongong Local Court today for behaving in an offensive manner near a public place and obstructing or hindering an ambulance officer, prohibiting service to another.
Moran pleaded guilty to both counts and was found not guilty of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm in June.
Magistrate Michael O'Brien said emergency services staff already have a difficult task, without Moran's actions.
"The impact of your behaviour has resulted in the trauma and injury to an ambulance officer going about his duty to protect his patient and to ensure that he got timely medical attention," he said.
"On this occasion you were a menace, a public menace."
On June 3, 2021, Moran called an ambulance from home and was taken to the hospital's emergency department where he demanded morphine.
Moran was aggressive and abusive towards staff who asked him to leave, before four security officers had to carry Moran outside.
When the security guards put him down near the intersection of Crown and Darling streets, Moran said "I'm going back, you can't stop me, if anyone touches me I'll defend myself, I'll knock you out".
Soon after, a paramedic, John Bevan, arrived in an ambulance, following another carrying a patient in need of critical care.
Moran blocked the first ambulance at the hospital driveway.
Mr Bevan asked Moran to move, grabbed him to get him out of the way, a tussle ensued and Mr Bevan fell to the ground, causing a fractured tibia that required surgery.
Magistrate O'Brien said Moran's actions led to Mr Bevan's trauma and injuries.
Moran's defence lawyer Tim McKenzie said that the events came after a relapse period where Moran began using alcohol and drugs again and asked the matter to be dealt with by a community based order.
Magistrate O'Brien agreed that Moran had had a relapse after making efforts to address his behaviour.
"I am cognisant of the fact that on the day in question your behaviour would only be explained by virtue of withdrawal symptoms you were experiencing," he said.
But Magistrate O'Brien noted this was no excuse, saying Moran's "behaviour is and always will be unacceptable".
Magistrate O'Brien sentenced Moran to a community corrections order for 12 months and 100 hours of community service work.
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