A magistrate has defended the decision to spare two women jail time after they drunkenly attacked a paramedic, claiming that 'special circumstances' allowed them to be exempt from mandatory sentencing.

Amanda Warren, 33, and Caris Underwood, 20, had the jail sentences they received for assaulting paramedic Paul Judd in 2016 quashed on appeal by Victoria County Court judge Barbara Cotterell on Tuesday.

Drug Court Magistrate Tony Parsons insists that the women didn't get off 'scot free', however, because they spent two weeks behind bars.

Drug Court Magistrate Tony Parsons (pictured) has defended the decision to spare two women jail time after they drunkenly attacked a paramedic, claiming that they weren't let off 'scot-free' because they spent two weeks behind bars

Caris Underwood (left) and Amanda Warren had the jail sentences they received for assaulting paramedic Paul Judd in 2016 quashed on appeal by Victoria County Court judge Barbara Cotterell on Tuesday

'Basically scot free, to be fair, isn't right,' he told 3AW radio host Tom Elliott on Wednesday.

'They've been under supervisional bail for the past two years and they've now got corrections orders for the next two and three years. They also did two weeks jail.'

Warren and Underwood were originally sentenced to six months and four months respectively, but Judge Cotterell said special reasons linked to their difficult childhoods and young families mean the minimum six-month term should not apply.

Parsons championed the importance of such legislative flexibility, stating that 'There's a whole range of circumstances that you and I, if we were in court or someone or close to us was in court, would want to have taken into account.

'We need that flexibility, because I think only justice is going to be done when we take all the facts and circumstances into account.'

Elliott, for his part, firmly disagreed with the decision to let the women off the hook, and further denounced the clause that allows supposedly 'mandatory' sentences to be waived in certain circumstances.

Warren ran from court on Tuesday after her sentence was quashed.

Warren (pictured) and Underwood appeared before Victoria's County Court on Tuesday

Warren ran from court in Melbourne after her prison sentence was quashed

The women admitted punching and kicking Paul Judd as he and another paramedic tried to treat a patient in Reservoir.

Lawyers for both women say the pair had tough childhoods but have started to turn their lives around since their drunken assault.

They both pleaded guilty last year to intentionally causing injury, while Warren has also admitted to criminally damaging the ambulance by ramming it with a car.

Defence lawyers for Underwood (left) and Warren previously argued special circumstances were present and the pair should avoid jail

Mr Judd broke his foot in the violent attack and has required multiple surgeries since.

The experienced ambulance worker has not been able to return to work since the violent attack in April 2016.

Unless there are 'special reasons', Victorian laws introduced in 2014 demand a mandatory minimum jail term of six months for anyone who intentionally injures an emergency worker.

The women have admitted punching and kicking Paul Judd as he and another paramedic tried to treat a patient in Reservoir

Ambulance Employees Australian Union secretary Steve McGhie expressed his frustration with the decision in an interview with 3AW Drive.

'I'm quite disgusted with the outcome,' he said.

Ambulance vehicles were pictured in Victoria plastered with protest graffiti after the decision was handed down.

Ambulance workers protested against the court's decision, writing 'It's not OK to assault paramedics' on a row of ambulance vehicles

Fair Go paramedic posted photos of ambulance vehicles displaying the message: 'It's not OK to assault paramedics' in pink and white writing.

'Paramedic after Paramedic, Crew after Crew, branch after branch, we all stand in defiance to today's ruling,' the organisation posted on social media.

An #itsneverok hashtag went viral social media on Tuesday as ambulance officers and the community expressed their support for the paramedics.