The Herald (Glasgow)
Paramedics Stephen Rutherford and Scott Macleod were attacked and beaten up as they went about their job.
While answering an emergency call to treat a man who collapsed in the street, they were assaulted by two of his friends.
They were punched, kicked and struck with a belt and a torch.
The paramedics had to flee for safety, leaving the patient lying untreated in the street.
Paul Thomson and Stuart Dick were locked up for 30 months each for the attack in a Glasgow street.
The attack left Rutherford with a four-inch cut above his eye and so concerned for his safety while on duty he bought his own protective clothing.
After the court case, he said: “I was off work for four weeks and when I went back I bought a stabproof vest. I have worn it ever since.
“Incidents where staff are being attacked are becoming more common. We need more protection.”
Thomson, of Thornliebank, and Dick, from Gosport in Hampshire, were originally sentenced to just 220 hours’ community service and placed on probation for two years causing outrage among unions, emergency workers and politicians.
Following a Crown Office appeal the sentence was deemed too lenient and was increased.