Man jailed for stabbing paramedics at his Wolverhampton home

A man has been jailed for stabbing two paramedics during a call-out.

Deena Evans and Michael Hipgrave, from West Midlands Ambulance Service, were attacked while responding to a welfare check at Martyn Smith's home in Wolverhampton on 6 July 2020.

Smith, 52, of Stephens Close in Ashmore Park, previously admitted two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He was was jailed for nine years with a further five years on licence.

The judge at Wolverhampton Crown Court praised the paramedics' "courage and bravery in the most challenging of circumstances".

Ms Evans said, on arriving at the house with police they could not get a response, so the decision was made to force entry, and as they entered the home, Mr Smith ran from the kitchen "with an eight-inch knife in each hand".

"I remember taking a step backwards and thinking my uniform is really wet," she said.

"I had gloves on and as I sort of patted myself down I looked at my gloves and I realised I am bleeding from somewhere.

"I just remember looking down and seeing the blood coming through my fingers and I couldn't breathe.

"I ran into the garden, that's where I collapsed, and a female officer was with me and I said to her 'Please don't let me die, please don't let me die, I've got three children.'"

Mr Hipgrave, 52, from Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, who has worked for the ambulance service for 21 years, needed surgery for cuts to his back.

Ms Evans, 40, from Willenhall, who joined West Midlands Ambulance Service in 2015, had to spend two days in hospital after suffering a chest wound and nerve damage.

Both have since spoken about the impact the attack had on their mental health.

They have had counselling and Mr Hipgrave said he "still can't get his head around" what happened, adding it has been "a very difficult time for myself and my family."

In a victim impact statement, released by the ambulance service following the conviction, Ms Evans said: "Your sentence will not give me back the year I lost, neither will it take away my painful and ugly scar, or the mental stress you caused."

Anthony Marsh, chief executive of West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "For two paramedics to be stabbed so horrifically whilst simply trying to help a patient is sickening.

"I want to commend the outstanding resilience of both Mick and Deena in their wishes to come back to work and continue to help their patients after everything they've been through."

Following the attack, and through funding of almost £1m from NHS England, the ambulance service has now purchased 1,288 bodycams for front-line staff.

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