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By Nicholas R Ward
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ABC Goldfields
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Topic:Courts
Posted Mon 24 Aug 2026 at 7:19pmMon 24 Aug 2026 at 7:19pmMon 24 Aug 2026 at 7:19pm
Brian Charles Parfitt attacked the ambulance during a violent confrontation. (ABC Goldfields: Macey Turner)
In short:
A man who headbutted an ambulance windshield while naked in WA's Goldfields has avoided further jail time.
Brian Charles Parfitt caused thousands of dollars damage to the ambulance and terrified St John paramedics during the incident.
A magistrate handed him a suspended prison term and fine, citing his significant mental health issues as a key factor.
abc.net.au/news/kalgoorlie-ambulance-attack-man-sentenced/107072104Link copiedShareShare article
A man who smashed his head through the windscreen of an ambulance while naked on a public street in Western Australia's Goldfields has been handed a suspended sentence and $100 fine.
Brian Charles Parfitt attacked the ambulance, and the paramedics inside, on December 7 last year after he had been spotted behaving erratically on the streets of Boulder, 600km east of Perth.
Parfitt, 26, attempted to climb the first ambulance on scene before mounting the second and repeatedly smashing his head into the windscreen.
The paramedics inside drove back and forth in an attempt to dislodge him, before he smashed his head through the windscreen and began crawling inside.
The St John Ambulance staff fled the vehicle and ran to the second ambulance, with Parfitt apprehended a short time later and placed into an induced coma.
Parfitt's lawyers had previously indicated he was having a "mental health episode" at the time of the incident, but further details have not been mentioned during court proceedings.
Video of the incident, which the ABC has chosen not to republish, was circulated widely on social media and sparked a campaign from St John's around the near-constant violence faced by the ambulance service's staff.
Prosecutors said Parfitt threatened bystanders with a pair of scissors taken from the ambulance. (ABC Goldfields: Macey Turner)
Prosecutors urged prison term
As Parfitt faced the Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court on Monday for sentencing, prosecutors urged an immediate jail term.
Police prosecutor Carl Logan said the 26-year-old, who appeared via video link from Casuarina Prison, was naked in the vicinity of women and children, and had threatened to kill a bystander with scissors taken from the ambulance.
Sergeant Logan said Parfitt had a lengthy criminal record, with the attack coming four months after his release from prison on other charges and causing $4,000 damage to the ambulance.
The court heard he had failed to engage with rehabilitation programs and represented a high risk of future offending.
Defence points to family support
Defence lawyer Leneva Polmear submitted a letter from Parfitt's Perth-based father, describing his pride in his son's efforts to turn his life around.
Ms Polmear said the family had made arrangements with a metropolitan crisis support service to ensure Parfitt had access to appropriate help.
Parfitt's attack caused $4,000 damage to the ambulance. (ABC Goldfields: Macey Turner)
Sentencing Parfitt, Magistrate Donna Webb said she had only been willing to consider a non-custodial sentence if the 26-year-old's father was willing to take him in.
She told the court she was also required to factor in Parfitt's significant mental health issues and the 261 days he had already spent in custody.
Describing the 13-month suspended prison term as a likely "last chance", she said Parfitt would need to do everything right to avoid further time in custody.
Magistrate Webb urged the 26-year-old to remain in Perth after his release from prison.
"Kalgoorlie seems to be a trap for you," she said.
Attacks on paramedics rising
Parfitt's offending came amid a significant rise in attacks on paramedics across Western Australia, with incidents rising 11.9 per cent in 2025.
Rebecca Thompson says she was traumatised by the attack. (ABC News: Nic Perpitch)
Kalgoorlie patient transport officer Rebecca Thomspon was on duty and in the ambulance during Parfitt's attack.
"I have three young children at home and I feared for my life whilst I was on that job," she said at the launch of a campaign to tackle violence against paramedics.
"It shouldn't be like that."
She described the incident as the most traumatic moment of her life.
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