Lisa's Story

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Paramedic Lisa O’Sullivan was spat at by a patient at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lisa, who is based in Blackweir, Cardiff, was also verbally abused by the patient as she attempted to treat him in the city’s Callaghan Square in August 2020.

Fortunately, South Wales Police officers were already at scene and arrested the man.

He was later sentenced to 14 weeks in prison.

Lisa recalls: “I’d been called to reports of a man having a seizure on Callaghan Square.

“It was a high-priority ‘Red’ call so I made my way there on lights and sirens.

“As I tried to assess him, he swore and called me a ‘f*****g c**t.’

“I tried to diffuse the situation by telling him my name and explaining what I was trying to do, but then he spat at me, which caught my face and my arm.

“Normally, I wouldn’t be fazed by something like this but I was stunned by it.

“We were in the middle of the pandemic, and even though I was wearing PPE, I had no idea whether he had Covid-19, let alone what other blood-borne diseases he may be carrying.

“It was traumatic, I felt hurt.

“I was there to help him and that’s how he treated me.”

At Cardiff Magistrates’ Court in May 2021, Daryl Robins pleaded guilty to assaulting Lisa contrary to section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and Section 1 of the Assault on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018, and was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison.

Lisa said: “I felt relief when I heard about his sentencing to be honest.

“I’m just glad that justice has been served, and that the courts took this seriously.

“I felt nervous for a while after the incident, especially when out as a solo responder.

“The attack was short-lived – it was over in literally minutes, but the impact stays with you.”

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