20-month jail term for man who threatened paramedic with imitation firearm

A 65-year-old man has been jailed after pointing an imitation firearm at a paramedic who had responded to his own 999 call for help in Rustington. Clive Monamy, of Hide Gardens, Rustington, dialled 999 on the evening of May 5, 2024, requesting an ambulance due to concerns about his mental health. A paramedic from the […]

A 65-year-old man has been jailed after pointing an imitation firearm at a paramedic who had responded to his own 999 call for help in Rustington.

Clive Monamy, of Hide Gardens, Rustington, dialled 999 on the evening of May 5, 2024, requesting an ambulance due to concerns about his mental health.

A paramedic from the South East Coast Ambulance Service attended the address but was met with verbal abuse from Monamy on arrival.

Despite requesting medical assistance, Monamy refused any treatment. The paramedic then decided to leave the property.

As the paramedic was preparing to leave, Monamy said: “I have something for you,” before producing a black handgun from beneath a pillow and pointing it directly at the medic’s face.

Fearing for his life, the paramedic instinctively lunged at Monamy and managed to disarm him before fleeing the address and contacting police.

Officers quickly attended the scene and recovered the weapon, which was later confirmed to be a BB gun. Monamy was arrested and charged with possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Monamy pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to 20 months in prison at Lewes Crown Court on February 27.

Detective Constable Neil Winter, who led the investigation, said the incident caused “extreme distress” to the paramedic who had been responding to a call for help.

He said: “Irrespective of his circumstances, this was a serious offence which genuinely caused the victim to fear for his life.

“This sort of behaviour towards emergency workers – or any member of the public for that matter – is totally unacceptable and offenders can expect to be dealt with robustly by the courts.”

David Monk, Security Manager for South East Coast Ambulance Service, said the incident was a frightening ordeal for the staff member involved.

“Our frontline colleagues attend incidents to provide care and compassion to those in need, and they should never have to face threats or violence while doing their job,” he said.

“This was an extremely frightening ordeal for our colleague, who was simply responding to a call for help. We will always work closely with police to ensure that anyone who puts our staff at risk is held fully accountable.”