A MAN has been sent to jail after attacking a paramedic with her own pen and threatening to kill her.

Paulius Zacharovas, 39, of no fixed abode, attacked Amanda Beames, from Bury, while being carried in an ambulance on the motorway.

Ms Beames was injured by Zacharovas as she restrained him in the ambulance.

She said: "This was an extremely frightening experience for me and although I have experienced abuse during my 20 career as a Paramedic, never anything on this scale.

"I have had to take some time away from my role following the attack but feel that this sentencing has given me some closure and I feel determined to get back to the job I love.

"The support that I have had from my colleagues, friends, family and the service as a whole has been amazing but it shouldn’t be needed. Nobody should ever be treated in that way especially someone who is only there to help."

An ambulance was called to an unconscious male in Manchester on September 5, 2017 but after getting the patient on the stretcher and in the ambulance the man suddenly became alert and began pulling at the ambulance equipment.

Trying to calm him down, Ms Beames comforted him and he asked her to hold his hand. She did this and he started laughing and pulled her on top of him, threatening to kill her and attempting to use her pen as a weapon to attack her with.

Ms Beames held him down and restrained him while travelling in an ambulance on the motorway to Salford Royal Hospital, formerly Hope Hospital. She was left with injuries to her wrist, chest and stomach.

Zacharovas was arrested and kept on remand before pleading guilty on February 21, at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court to a charge of assault with battery.

Sector manager for the North West Ambulance Service in Greater Manchester, Annemarie Rooney, said: "This type of treatment towards the very people who are there only to help is absolutely not acceptable and we will not tolerate it.

“This was a vicious attack which has had a lasting effect on our Paramedic and we’re glad that he has been brought to justice.”

In 2017, there were 204 reported incidents of physical assault against NWAS staff in Greater Manchester alone.

Zacharavos was sentenced to an eight month prison sentence and ordered to pay fines of £150.