Two Melbourne mums jailed for brutal bashing of paramedic
Two Melbourne mothers will spend Christmas behind bars after a sickening attack left a veteran paramedic unable to work.
Ambulance Victoria has welcomed the jail terms for Caris Underwood and Amanda Warren saying it sends a message that attacks on emergency services personnel won’t be tolerated.
Underwood and Warren bashed paramedics Paul Judd and Chenaye Bently in Reservoir in 2016, because in their drunken state they thought they would do a better job of helping a drug-affected man.
They pinned Mr Judd to the ground and bashed him. His partner Ms Bentley screamed for them to stop but she was also bashed.
Mr Judd said in his 40 years on the job he’s never needed to be hospitalised for assault.
“That's a long time, I’ve seen a fair bit in that time,” he said.
“In some ways, I feel sorry for them, but justice needed to be done.”
Ms Bentley said while she feels privileged to work as a paramedic, she can't “bear the thought of attending an aggressive patient or bystander” after the assault.
For intentionally causing injury Underwood was jailed for four months while Warren will spend eight months behind bars for her vulgar behaviour.
Ambulance Victoria’s Mick Stephenson hopes the decision to jail the pair “sends a very clear message”.
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Before prison guards led them away to spend Christmas behind bars Warren sobbed and hugged her family while Underwood happily flashed a smile.
Mr Judd has had to undergo three surgeries following the bashing. He’s yet to return to work, but hopes to soon.
“That's still my goal at the moment to go back and I'm working towards that with my support team,” he said.
