Walsall: 'Callous' paramedic escapes jail after failing to help heart attack victim

An "uncaring" paramedic who failed to assist a man having a heart attack has escaped jail.

Matthew Geary was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence for not examining or resuscitating Carl Cope, who he had brought to hospital complaining of chest pains.

Sentencing Geary, Judge John Warner condemned the paramedic's actions as "callous and uncaring" which contradicted his job title.

The CCTV footage, played to Wolverhampton Crown Court, show Cope collapsing outside the accident and emergency department at Walsall Manor Hospital.

Geary watched the victim struggle to his feet and collapse again while sitting in a nearby ambulance. When he did make his way over to Cope, without taking any equipment, he is seen standing with his hands in his pockets and talking to him for two minutes.

He then wrongly asks hospital security to deal with him before returning to his ambulance.

But when the security guard arrives five minutes later Cope is not conscious.

A post mortem examination revealed he died of a heart attack and if he had been properly monitored his ability to survive would have been higher.

Geary had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over his death in December 2012 but manslaughter charges were dropped because Cope may not have survived his heart attack.

But the 36-year-old of Manor Avenue, Great Wyrley, West Midlands, pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws by failing to examine Cope or attempt prompt resuscitation.

"We had seen the CCTV footage of Carl collapsing and listened to his 999 call," said Detective Inspector Justin Spanner, who led the two-year investigation into Cope's death.

He added: "Carl had been treated very poorly and we were determined the circumstances surrounding his death were not simply swept under the carpet.

"We couldn't move forward with a manslaughter prosecution so we began to investigate what other offences may have been committed."

Another ambulance worker and a nurse were also charged with failing to discharge their duties in taking care of the health and safety of Cope – but charges were later dropped. They were however sacked along with another nurse and a hospital receptionist.

The court heard Geary would probably be struck off by his profession's regulatory body.