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A day in the life of an ambulance paramedic

A young partygoer who assaulted two paramedics after consuming “a cornucopia” of drugs at a music and culture festival has avoided a mandatory jail sentence.

James Haberfield, 22, became the first person under new Victorian laws on Wednesday to be slapped with mandatory treatment and monitoring for offenders who attack emergency workers.

However, he avoided a minimum six-month jail term that’s also required under the laws, which came into effect last October.

On January 29 this year, Haberfield returned to Melbourne after the four-day Rainbow Serpent Festival during which he consumed “a cocktail of drugs” including ecstasy, ice, MDMA and ketamine.

He knocked on the door of a Coburg home, walking inside and terrifying the residents, who he did not know.

An ambulance came to collect Haberfield, staffed by two female paramedics.

While he was being cared for in the rear of the vehicle and in an “acutely psychotic state”, he became aggressive, punching paramedic Monica (who didn’t want her surname published) in the face, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing.

Monica screamed as Haberfield pinned her to the rear corner of the ambulance, with the two women pressing their duress button before escaping and calling police.

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The paramedic driving the ambulance sedated him with midazolam before he was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he underwent treatment for more than a week.

Magistrate Simon Zebrowski said Haberfield’s impaired mental state that day wasn’t solely due to self-inflicted intoxication as he had pre-existing autism spectrum disorder and a major depressive disorder.

A psychiatric expert said he would have an elevated risk of suicide while in custody.

Instead, Mr Zebrowski said sending the “mortified, dismayed and deeply ashamed” young man to jail “would have a disproportionate and catastrophic effect” on his future.

Haberfield was given an 18-month community corrections order and must undergo mandatory treatment.

Monica sobbed in court as the sentence was given. She hasn’t been able to return to her work since the attack.

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has reacted with fury, ordering the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) undertake an immediate review of the sentence.

“Our thoughts are with the victims of this completely unacceptable attack,” Mr Andrews said.

“The DPP should give urgent consideration to appealing this matter.”

Danny Hill, the boss of the paramedics’ union, slammed the legislation as being “a dud”.

“Will a paramedic have to be stabbed or killed before the court sends a strong message?” a furious Mr Hill told reporters outside court.

Later, in an interview with 3AW, Mr Hill said he was dumbfounded.

“They’re describing him as having autism spectrum disorder. There’s a lot of people in the community who have autism. I have children with autism, we have paramedics in the job who are on the autism spectrum.

“None of them beat the crap out of paramedics who are trying to help them.”