A Somalian Muslim man has faced court accused of stabbing an off-duty paramedic in the face and neck in an unprovoked attack in Melbourne.
Mohamud Ali, 32, appeared Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday charged with attempted murder, intentionally causing injury, and assaulting an emergency worker, but did not apply for bail.
The court heard it was his first time in custody, and that he had a prescription for Diazepam, also known as Valium, but no mental health diagnoses were listed for the court file, The Age reported.
Police allege Ali stopped his car outside a café in his home suburb of Reservoir, jumped out and repeatedly stabbed the paramedic, who had stopped for a coffee at about 11am on Thursday.
The 35-year-old emergency worker, named Sam, gave himself first aid at the scene after a bystander intervened and stopped the alleged attack, and was then taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.
Ali was arrested hours later and charged that night.
The arrest and charges have sparked debate about a loophole in Victorian law that means mandatory prison for assaulting emergency workers do not apply if they were not on duty or treating a patient at the time.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said the laws should be updated.
“Just because they’re on a coffee break doesn’t mean the laws shouldn’t apply,” he said.
Deputy Premier Ben Carroll agreed the laws needed to be changed, and Opposition leader Jess Wilson said she was “committed to fixing this loophole”.
Ambulance Victoria chief executive Jordan Emery said attacks on emergency workers needed to be stopped.
“It is completely unacceptable that people who spend their lives caring for others – who give so much to care for their communities – continue to face violence on a daily basis,” he said on Thursday night.
Header image: Left Mohamud Ali in court (Anita Lester). Right, Ali being arrested (supplied).
