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A man will remain in custody following a court appearance where he faced charges related to the attempted stabbing murder of a paramedic on duty.
The paramedic, who has recently embraced fatherhood, was transported to the hospital after sustaining stab wounds to his face and neck. Fortunately, he is in stable condition thanks to the intervention of a passerby who came to his aid.
Authorities allege that the suspect exited a small, red vehicle and attacked the paramedic, targeting his upper body, before making his escape in the same car.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that this is Ali’s first experience with incarceration. He reportedly does not suffer from any diagnosed medical conditions, although he has been prescribed diazepam by his general practitioner.
Ali is scheduled to make his next court appearance on August 7.
Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill said the loophole had been exposed by the incident and another recent case involving a female paramedic who was not treating a patient when she was attacked.
The definition of “on duty” refers to when a paramedic is providing care to a patient, he said.
Premier Jacinta Allan has committed to fixing the laws in response to the incident, and victims and unions raising the “loopholes” issue.
Her government will ask the Victorian Law Reform Commission to review the definition of “on duty”.
Shadow attorney-general James Newbury called the review “offensive” and accused Allan of “sitting on her hands”.
“Our emergency service workers deserve more than another review,” he said.
The opposition has vowed to introduce a private members bill in the next parliamentary sitting period to ensure emergency services workers are protected at all times.
Deputy Premier Ben Carroll conceded it was “fair” to point out the failure of the current laws to cover this specific incident.
He said the definition of “on duty” would be clarified as soon as possible to cover emergency workers “walking around in uniform”.
“No ifs, no buts,” Carroll told reporters today.
Haberfield was ordered to serve an 18-month community corrections order and undergo treatment for schizophrenia, which he suffered at the time of the attack.
The change meant offenders could no longer rely on a “special reasons” clause if their mental state was self-induced by alcohol or drug use.
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