A DRUNK paranoid schizophrenic who sexually assaulted a female paramedic was given a suspended prison sentence by magistrates.While Adam Barwick was being taken to hospital for a head injury, he made lewd remarks to the East of England Ambulance Service crew member before he grabbed her inner thigh.

A DRUNK paranoid schizophrenic who sexually assaulted a female paramedic was given a suspended prison sentence by magistrates.

While Adam Barwick was being taken to hospital for a head injury, he made lewd remarks to the East of England Ambulance Service crew member before he grabbed her inner thigh.

Magistrates heard that Barwick, of Elder Green, Gorleston, had been found drunk in the street of his home town early on March 14 and an ambulance was called as he had a head wound.

The court was told that the 27-year-old could not remember sexually assaulting the paramedic after he had mixed his medication for his mental-health problem with alcohol after a night out in the Ocean Room.

After pleading guilty to the sexual assault, Barwick was given an 84-day jail sentence, suspended for six months, and placed on the sex- offender register for seven years.

Sara Borthwick, prosecuting, said that an ambulance and police attended Barwick at about 3.50am in Riverside Road after a call was received saying a man had a head injury.

Ms Borthwick said: “He was clearly intoxicated. He was being abusive to ambulance staff and police.”

Barwick was then taken to hospital by ambulance and while he was alone in the back with his female victim, he made suggestive and lewd remarks.

Ms Borthwick said: “The defendant then moved across the ambulance and sat next to her. He then touched her on the inner part of her thigh. He appeared to get some sort of pleasure from this.”

The paramedic feared that some violence would be used towards her and was distressed and upset by the incident.

Annette Hall, representing Barwick, said her client had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia about four years ago and had foolishly mixed his medication with alcohol.

He had no recollection of the incident and had no previous convictions of a sexual nature.

Ms Hall said: “It is an unpleasant set of circumstances and he is appalled by his behaviour. There are no words he can offer to her that can make up for what she had to go through.”

Barwick was also made the subject of a six-month community order and made to pay �100 compensation to his victim.

Gill Johnson, chairman of the magistrates, said: “This offence, as you realise, was a particularly nasty offence.”