A THUG, who attacked and bit a paramedic who tried to carry out a citizen's arrest on him and was spared jail last year, is behind bars after a judge was told he had failed to carry out the community service he was ordered to do.
Terry Neaster, 28, of Kingfisher Drive, Soham, must still pay £1,000 in compensation to his victim and £500 in legal costs after re-appearing before Judge Christopher Ball, QC, at Chelmsford Crown Court on Wednesday.
As well as 150 hours unpaid wo
rk and the financial orders, Neaster was originally banned from driving.
Judge Ball told Neaster, who had only completed 29 hours of unpaid work and had also failed to attend court: "You've had Christmas at home."
Peter Kelly, a paramedic based at Stansted Airport, had seen Neaster driving dangerously, followed him and grabbed his car keys when he stopped at traffic lights. A chase followed and Neaster rounded on Mr Kelly and bit him.
Neaster, a former soldier who served in Iraq, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, assault causing actual bodily harm, having a bladed weapon and driving with excess alcohol.
He was given a 12-month jail term, which was suspended for two years, ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work and disqualified from driving for 18 months but only the unpaid work order was revoked as Judge Ball said: "All other orders remain."
Neaster had been told to pay Mr Kelly £1,000 in compensation and pay £500 in costs. Mr Kelly was also awarded £400 out of public funds for what the judge described as "very determined and sustained action of commendable civil conduct."
Representing himself, Neaster, who admitted failing to complete his unpaid work order and attend court, said: "I've no excuse. I live in Soham and for the work, I was to turn up at 9am on a Sunday but there's no public transport.
"When I was late twice by five minutes they sent me home and they gave us meaningless jobs," he said.
He had failed to attend three times to carry out the unpaid work.
Previously, Judge Ball had told Neaster: "This was a quite extraordinary incident. Anybody in the sober light of day would realise the brave and public spirited way Mr Kelly intervened. You were a danger to yourself and others."
Prosecutor Dara Islam had told the original court that the incident happened as Neaster was driving towards Stansted on the M11 at 6.15pm on September 6, 2008, when Mr Kelly who was driving to work, spotted him near junction 10.
After seeing him swerve in and out of the hard shoulder, Mr Islam said Mr Kelly gave chase and when Neaster stopped at traffic lights he pulled in front of him, got out, could smell alcohol on his breath, and told Neaster he was making a citizen's arrest, took his car keys and walked off.
However, Mr Islam said Neaster then went after him shouting: "Give me the f…ing keys."
He grabbed them and prevented Mr Kelly calling police by grabbing his mobile phone as well.
However, he got the keys back from Neaster and threw them in a ditch. Neaster found them but Mr Kelly then grabbed them again and ran off with them.
Mr Islam continued: "He then threw the keys into the open window of a car at traffic lights but saw the occupant throw them out and Neaster again got hold of them and returned to his car whereupon Mr Kelly suffered a bite on his arm."
He said Neaster began to drive off, damaging the parked ambulance vehicle as he went, and was then stopped by another member of the public.
"A machete was later found in the boot of his car and he had an alcohol reading of 79 microgrammes."
"The incident left Mr Kelly shaken up and particularly concerned about dealing with patients under the influence of alcohol," said Mr Islam.
