A duo of ambulance personnel from London described their experience as akin to being ensnared in a “horror movie” when a drunken patient turned aggressive, smashing their windscreen and launching bricks at them during their attempts to assist him.

Harvey Jenkins recounted that he and his coworker Tom Pursey found themselves covered in shattered glass during an incident that “seemed endless” after they responded to a call at a residential area in Rotherhithe, located in south-eastern London, last August.

Pauline Cranmer, the chief paramedic in London, characterized the incident as a “profoundly troubling and prolonged attack,” noting that such assaults were increasing.

The perpetrator, Seiitbek Uulu, confessed to assaulting an emergency staff member, causing property damage, and being publicly intoxicated and disorderly.

According to the London Ambulance Service (LAS), the confrontation occurred on August 24 while the medics were assessing Uulu’s condition.

After leaving the ambulance in apparent distress, Uulu claimed he was searching for his bicycle, as stated by Mr. Jenkins.

“My partner exited the vehicle to assist him in the search, but I soon heard the emergency alert activate, which made me realize he was in danger.

“The patient was pursuing him and issuing threats.”

The two quickly retreated to the front of the ambulance in an attempt to drive away, but as they began to leave, Uulu leapt onto the vehicle’s hood, according to the LAS.

Twenty-five-year-old Mr. Harvey recounted: “He was pounding on the windscreen with his fists and feet until he managed to break through it. We were incredulous and scrambled into the back of the ambulance to escape.

“It truly felt like a scene from a horror flick—everything grew quiet only for him to resume attacking the windows and hurling bricks and concrete at us.

“The assault seemed to stretch on indefinitely.

“We were uncertain whether to confront him or stay sheltered in the ambulance—it was as if we were cornered.”

Mr. Harvey sustained a superficial injury from a brick, but fortunately, it was not serious.

Law enforcement was summoned, leading to Uulu’s capture shortly thereafter, while the damaged ambulance was taken out of service for repairs.

Uulu, aged 33 and residing on Gibsons Hill in Southwark, was sentenced last month at Croydon Magistrates’ Court, receiving a £114 fine, a four-month ban on alcohol consumption, and a requirement to complete 150 hours of community service.

Ms. Cranmer remarked: “This was a profoundly disturbing and sustained assault on an ambulance team whose only intention was to provide assistance.

“Incidents targeting ambulance professionals are on the rise, and penalties must reflect the significant repercussions of such crimes.”

Data from the LAS indicates that violent and abusive encounters against ambulance staff have surged in recent years, showing an 11.3% increase in 2024 in comparison to 2023.

Jason Killens, the chair of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, expressed his concern that the sentence given to Uulu was “disproportionately lenient” considering the “extent of the violence” aimed at the ambulance team.

“This reprehensible conduct has a lasting adverse effect on the health and wellbeing of ambulance personnel, yet the situation appears to be worsening, with low conviction rates and inadequate sentencing for offenders who do not view them as a genuine deterrent,” he stated.