New Cross paramedic struck off over 'unprovoked and prolonged' attack on wife
A paramedic who tried to strangle his wife and threatened to kill the family dog has been struck off.
Stuart Gwilt pinned his wife Sarah to the floor and attempted to strangle her in an 'unprovoked and prolonged' assault at their home in Stafford.
He threatened to knife the family dog and then turn the weapon on himself during the assault on June 5 last year, the Health and Care Professions Council heard.
Gwilt had just started a new job at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, which he found to be stressful.
He was allegedly angry that his wife, who is also a paramedic, had been out all day. He followed her to bed, yanked off the covers and dragged her from the bed. Gwilt put his hand over her face and mouth to stifle her yells, as their two children were asleep.
He momentarily paused his attack to quieten down their daughter, who was three at the time and crying in the next room, before returning to carry on the assault.
The child was calling for her mother but when she to comfort the toddler he shoved his wife to the ground.
He took a knife from the kitchen and threatened to kill the family dog. He then threatened to kill himself in front of her.
Gwilt pleaded guilty to common assault was sentenced at Cannock Magistrates' Court on August 5 to 14 weeks imprisonment suspended for 24 months.
He also was handed a 24-month rehabilitation activity requirement, a two-year restraining order imposed and had to pay £315 in costs.
He had been working as a patient flow manager since December 2014 up until the HCPC hearing on July 4 this year.
Gwilt told the HCPC panel that the incident lasted about 10 minutes and he accepted that their children were in the house and in bed at that time.
Gwilt admitted that his fitness to practise was impaired as a result of his conviction.
HCPC panel chair Manuela Grayson said: "It was an unprovoked and prolonged assault with children present on the premises.
"This is such a serious departure from the standard of behaviour expected from a paramedic that only a striking off order would be sufficient."
