Peter Mele, 30, assaulted paramedics and police on Christmas Day last year
Peter Mele pictured at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court.(Image: ChronicleLive)
A man who attacked paramedics and then assaulted a police officer on Christmas Day after an argument with his girlfriend in a Northumberland hotel has avoided being sent to prison. Peter Mele was spending the festive season in the North East with his girlfriend and their pet rabbit, but things turned violence after a Christmas Eve night out.
During an argument, Mele assaulted his girlfriend and threatened to harm their pet, before leaving the hotel and sitting in the middle of the Moor Farm roundabout on the A19. A female paramedic then attended to help the 31-year-old. But despite her help, he told her, “I’m going to kill you”.
Chronicle Live previously reported that Mele was in a “depressed” mood at the time. On Friday, Mele, of Radcliffe Mount, Nottingham, returned to Newcastle Magistrates’ Court to be sentenced for three counts of assaulting an emergency worker and one count of assault by beating. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.
Peter Mele(Image: Northumbria Police)
At his first appearance in August, the court heard that Mele, his girlfriend and their pet rabbit travelled to the North East to visit family over the Christmas holidays last year and were staying in a hotel in Northumberland. But when the couple returned to the hotel on Christmas Eve, Mele was in a “depressed” mood.
Ruth Forster, prosecuting, told the court that Mele had been on medication for depression in the lead up to the holidays, but had not always been taking it. She said: “There was a steep change in his behaviour and he had [previously] booked a one way ticket to Italy and quit his job but continued with their Christmas plans.
“They returned to the hotel pub and he had been rambling to a barmaid. They got back to the room and suddenly he started saying nasty things like ‘you think I’m disgusting’. He continued to be venomous towards [his partner].”
‘I’m going to kill you’
Later that night, Mele then assaulted his partner and kicked her out of bed and she left the room as he was “shouting comments about harming their rabbit”. Due to concerns about Mele’s mental health, a female paramedic attended the scene in the early hours of Christmas Day, with Mele being found sitting cross-legged on a road.
Ms Forster said Mele was “rocking backwards and forwards” as the paramedic began helping him before he began to punch himself in the head. It was then that Mele chillingly told her, “I’m going to kill you”.
The paramedic pressed her panic button and a male paramedic arrived soon after, but Mele “adopted a fighting stance” and began threatening him and attempting to bite him, saying “I’m going to kill you all”. Mele – who became increasingly aggressive – then assaulted both paramedics as they attempted to restrain him.
Panic alarm
The paramedics again pressed their panic alarms and the police turned up to arrest Mele. The court heard that the female paramedic who was assaulted had to undergo counselling and physiotherapy.
When Mele was taken to the Middle Engine Lane station, he began dishing out “verbal threats” to officers and kicked one in the left thigh. The court heard he had five previous convictions for six offences, but had been out of trouble since 2016.
Mele was given a 12 week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months and was ordered to pay compensation. The North East Ambulance Service responder, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been working for the service for 20 years and has been assaulted once before earlier in her career.
‘I need to recover’
Speaking after the sentence, she said: “I feel listened to and supported by today’s outcome. It sends a clear message that assaults on emergency service workers will not be tolerated. We come to work to help people, not to be attacked, and knowing the justice system takes these incidents seriously means a lot. Without strong consequences for this kind of behaviour, it risks becoming normalised — and that’s not something we can ever accept.”
With injuries to her arm and ribs following the incident, she added: “I have two small children at home who were waiting for me to return home to celebrate Christmas. I’ve struggled with small things like brushing my hair, cutting up my dinner and most importantly, giving my kids cuddles – and that’s just the physical impact I need to recover from.
“Had there not been anyone close by to help I think it could have been a very different story. It’s just not acceptable – we were just trying to help.”
Mele ‘devastated and ashamed’
Adrian Irons, defending in August, said Mele’s girlfriend has stood by him and retracted her statement to police – however, Mele still pleaded guilty and accepted the assault. He said he was “absolutely devastated and ashamed” about attacking paramedics and police and had shown “significant and real remorse”.
Mr Irons said: “He wants to make it very clear, he profusely apologises and has remorse. He says he actions were completely inexcusable.
“He was in a bad way with his mental health and can’t believe what he’s done.”
Debbie Been, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor with CPS North East, said: “Our partners in the emergency services play a vital role in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the communities that we serve. Assaults against emergency workers are a crime, both against the individual victims and against society itself, with the potential to cause unnecessary disruption in the provision of care and support to other members of the public.
“I would like to assure anyone who places themselves at risk in the line of their duties that the Crown Prosecution Service works closely with police to build robust cases against perpetrators of violence or abuse against them, ensuring that they face swift and effective justice for their actions.”
Rise in violence against paramedics
The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) NHS Trust has reported a significant rise in incidents of violence and aggression against staff, with a 103% increase over the last seven years. On average, ambulance workers face 30 acts of aggression per week compared with just nine in 2017/2018.
This trend not only impacts staff wellbeing but also has wider consequences for patient care and the communities served. Between 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 alone, there was a 43% increase in reported incidents, marking the highest annual total on record at NEAS.
Chief operating officer at North East Ambulance Service Stephen Segasby said: “We were shocked and disappointed that members of our team delivering care in our communities be hurt on Christmas Day. Our staff come to work to keep helping people who need them. They leave their own celebrations and families at Christmas, a special time of year, and it’s inconceivable that they come across any sort of harm in the line of duty, then or any other time.
“Thank you to all of our teams for supporting these and other staff harmed in the line of duty.”
He added: “The majority of incidents reported continue to stem from intimidating or disruptive behaviour, followed by verbal abuse and physical assaults. Contributory factors such as alcohol, drugs, and mental health remain the most common causes, with a notable rise in hate-related and sexual abuse incidents in recent years.
“Residential addresses remain the most common setting for such incidents, though cases are increasingly being reported inside ambulances, Emergency Operations Centres (EOC), and public places.”
Bid to reduce violence
National figures published by the Ambulance Association of Chief Executives (AACE) in February 2025 echo this trend, showing that violence, aggression and abuse against ambulance staff have reached their highest ever levels, with 22,536 cases reported in 2024/2025 – a 14.8% rise on the previous year. In response, NEAS is working closely with local police forces, the Crown Prosecution Service, and partner agencies to reduce violence and better protect staff.
Key initiatives include restorative justice approaches, intelligence sharing, and the use of body-worn video and vehicle CCTV. Internal campaigns such as #CallItOut and #WorkWithoutFear are encouraging staff to report incidents, while enhanced staff training, counselling and support services are being made available. The Trust says it remains committed to reducing violence and aggression, supporting staff wellbeing and ensuring ambulance teams can continue to deliver safe care to patients.
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