Ex-soldier jailed for sex attack

[ModlrMike]

I knew this guy was trouble from the moment he arrived at the unit. It's unfortunate that a young woman got hurt.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2009/05/05/9352816-sun.html

 

[Gunnar]

She told him to get out and threatened to call police, but the drunk soldier grabbed her by the arms and pushed her to her bedroom and onto the bed.

Make that drunk EX-soldier.

 

[PMedMoe]

Pidgeon, who was also a paramedic

Why doesn't the headline read "Ex-paramedic jailed for sex attack"?  Oh, right, because that wouldn't catch your eye........ :

 

[mariomike]

Why doesn't the headline read "Ex-paramedic jailed for sex attack"?  Oh, right, because that wouldn't catch your eye........ :

IF he was a Paramedic, the report did not say where.
It certainly would catch your eye because Paramedics are called into womens bedrooms and often - 50 per cent of the time - find themselves alone in the back of an ambulance with women. The threat of being accused by a patient of assault or theft is always in the back of your mind.
The report also did not say if he had met the victim through his work. It only said the attack occurred the day after he was released from a military jail.

 

[X-mo-1979]

Makes me wonder if these people have serious brain damage.That has all the signs that the only thing running in their head is the limbic system.

 

[ModlrMike]

I seem to recall that the victim may have been an acquaintance of his. Perhaps a GF at some point.

 

[Gramps]

Why doesn't the headline read "Ex-paramedic jailed for sex attack"?  Oh, right, because that wouldn't catch your eye........ :

Or because he was in the Military at the time of the attack.

 

[armyvern]

Make that drunk EX-soldier.

Who was a still-serving soldier (just one day out of Club Ed) when he committed this crime.

She was attacked by a soldier who now, thankfully, is an ex-soldier.

 

[Shec]

... It only said the attack occurred the day after he was released from a military jail.

Can't you just see the headline for the follow-up story:

Military Penal System A School For Brutal Criminality

 

[armyvern]

IF he was a Paramedic, the report did not say where.

The report states he was a paramedic. So what as to the "where"?

Pidgeon, who was also a paramedic, was ordered to submit a DNA sample for the national DNA data bank and placed on the national sex offender registry for 20 years.

He was drunk, thus probably not on shift duty as a paramedic at the time of the attack; Whether he knew her or not through any of his jobs at the time - is moot, trival and means diddly squat.

 

[mariomike]

The report states he was a paramedic. So what as to the "where"?

He was drunk, thus probably not on shift duty as a paramedic at the time of the attack; Whether he knew her or not through any of his jobs at the time - is moot, trival and means diddly squat.

My reply was to reply #2.
The report states he was "with 1 Field Ambulance". We could say "so what" to that as well. I don't live in Edmonton, so the whole story means "diddly squat" to me. Nonetheless, we keep buying their papers and discussing the stories.
Thanks for your reply and have a great day!

 

[PMedMoe]

My reply was to reply #2.
The report states he was "with 1 Field Ambulance". We could say "so what" to that as well.

My point was that the paper/journalist used the "ex-soldier" angle to get the story noticed.  Pidgeon was also a paramedic.  Why not use that angle?

Imagine this:  Joe Smith serves in the military for three years and releases.  He then works as a plumber for 25 years.  He commits a crime.  The headline is not going to read "Retired Plumber blah blah..." it's going to read "Ex-soldier".  That was the point I was trying to make.

Yes, he was still a soldier at the time of the crime, and no doubt already on his way out the door.  There's probably a good chance he was working as a paramedic at the same time. 

OT:  Do they have back check or security checks for paramedics?  Because I'm guessing he won't pass one now.......thankfully.

 

[mariomike]

OT:  Do they have back check or security checks for paramedics?  Because I'm guessing he won't pass one now.......thankfully.

Gosh I don't know?! When I joined you had to be over 5'8" and weigh more than 160 pounds. I don't recall anything else.
So I called our guru on that sort of question down at the Rubes Centre. Ron told me that Toronto EMS does a criminal record search and check references.
http://www.torontoems.ca/main-site/careers/medic-opportunities.html

 

[ModlrMike]

There's probably a good chance he was working as a paramedic at the same time.

Nope, never made it to registration in Alberta.


As an aside, I seem to recall the sequence of events as:

AWOL (3 weeks digger);
rape and arrest (pre-trial custody); and
release (while awaiting trial).

I don't think he actually got back on base after his release from the DB, not that it matters. Granted, factually he was still a member of the CF when the rape took place.

 

[mariomike]

Nope, never made it to registration in Alberta.

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story!
Thanks for the information. When they didn't say where he worked, it smelled fishy to me.  They ALWAYS report that when one of us screws up. They sold a few more newspapers at the expense of public confidence in their EMS.

 

[Pat_Y]

Something that really annoys me is that he is only getting 4 years for this... insane ??? ??? rly:

 

[medic65726]

As the report says he had been living in Ontario (where is family is I believe), and I don't know how recently, but it was here that he worked as a Paramedic.
I worked with him for a bit about 7-8 years ago and he had major issues, even back then. He worked both land and air ambulance as a Primary Care Paramedic.
And I can't speak for other provinces but in Ontario there is required screening for Paramedics. All services require a Criminal Records Search/Clearance letter before hiring and many now want a Vulnerable Persons Screening/Background check instead. During employment the Criminal Records Searches are repeated anually as well as drivers abstracts as well. Unfortunately there are bad apples in all groups