The decisions a Hamilton paramedic made in seven-and-a-half critical minutes three years ago ended his career, unravelled his life and contributed to the death of a man.

But the prosecution of his regulatory shortcomings has also sent a chill down the spine of paramedics watching the case, says their local union representative.

"Never in our history has anyone been called to task where they're facing incarceration for, in essence, what was not abiding by certain standards of patient care," union president Mario Posteraro said.

"It obviously sends a chill through the profession in that it's history-making in that you're called before the courts," Posteraro added.

On Monday, Paul Zenchuk was sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service for not properly treating Michael Farrance, who later died in hospital of his injuries.

Prosecutor Deanna Exner sought 30 days in jail for what the Crown characterized as a "breach of public trust" that demanded stiff deterrence to prevent a similar tragedy.

Justice of the peace Dan D'Ignazio noted research hadn't unearthed another case of a paramedic facing punishment for a similar breach of duties in Canada, the United States or the U.K.

The 48-year-old's inadequate response in January 2011 to the unconscious 59-year-old, who had been shoved by a police officer, was part of a chain of events that led to his death, D'Ignazio told the court.

"Arriving at a judgment was difficult and, at times, agonizing," he said.

"At the centre is the death of Mr. Farrance," he added. "No sentence can compensate for this."

But D'Ignazio said Zenchuk's regulatory breach under the Ambulance Act wasn't deliberate. The paramedic had also shown remorse, co-operated with ministry investigators, pleaded guilty and voluntarily given up his paramedic's licence, he added.

He also noted Zenchuk had spent his life savings and now lives in a church with several other people.

On the early morning of Jan. 29, 2011, Zenchuk arrived in an EMS vehicle, but not an ambulance, to a Balsam Avenue South home to find an unconscious Farrance lying on his back, his shoulders slumped and his chin resting on his chest, blocking his airways. An officer had pushed him after he allegedly swung a cane at him during his second episode with police that night.

The 22-year veteran was met with firefighters leaving without treating the victim; police saying Farrance was in a drunken stupor; and the patient's intoxicated wife yelling at the officers, court heard.

"He says he was thrown off because the scene was chaotic," D'Ignazio said.

Zenchuk performed some diagnostic tests, told dispatch the patient urgently needed an ambulance, but didn't treat him. Paramedics who arrived by ambulance about seven minutes and thirty seconds after Zenchuk's arrival, found Farrance without vital signs.

A 2012 coroner's report determined he died later in hospital from blunt injury after being pushed and from brain damage caused by lack of oxygen.

The Special Investigations Unit found the police officers weren't criminally responsible.

In an interview, Posteraro suggested the province had unfairly come down hard on Zenchuk.

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"It's clear there were other parties involved and there's culpability that we felt should have been shared. It wasn't."

Leaving court, Zenchuk, wearing a navy blue suit and a weary smile, declined to comment. But his lawyer, Tim Hannigan, said his client feels "very relieved" at the outcome and may pursue a career in teaching martial arts.

As part of his probation, Zenchuk is barred from seeking certification as a primary paramedic and must obtain proper certification for any other health-care profession.