He wouldn't help 30st man
Karl HarrisA paramedic who refused to help a dying 30-stone man and then told a pack of lies to cover his tracks was jailed for a year yesterday.
Karl Harris, 45, instructed his rookie crewmate "not to bother" saving disabled Barry Baker who had called 999 with breathing problems.
When the trainee questioned the decision, he said: "Just say he was dead when we got here."
His startling comments were recorded on Mr Baker's home phoneline which was still connected to the ambulance HQ.
But Harris had no idea about this and told his boss and police he did everything by the book.
Jailing him yesterday, Judge Guy Anthony said: "You made a clear and deliberate decision to lie.
"Actions of this sort that strike at the root of the trust people have in the ambulance service can only be dealt with by a custodial sentence. Members of the public are entitled to expect that they will be treated properly."
Harris claimed he did all he could to get Mr Baker on his back for resuscitation but his size and the cluttered state of his house in Brighton made it impossible.
Crewmate Ben Stokes, 35 - a trainee technician on his first shift with his colleague - told Lewes crown court Harris stopped him going to his aid and had said: "There's no point. He has died. I have seen this before."
