Ambulance worker charged over 999 call
26/02/2009
An ambulance worker has been charged with misconduct in public office after being called to treat a man in his Brighton home.
Karl Harris, 44, of Tophill Close, Portslade, East Sussex, has also been charged with perverting the course of justice over the alleged incident at the home of Barry Baker.
Mr Baker, 55, called on ambulance on November 29 last year because he thought he was having a heart attack.
When the crew arrived, they found that Mr Baker had collapsed while on the phone.
The line to the control centred remained open, however, allowing the call handler to hear the crew as they attended to Mr Baker as he died.
Sussex Police said that a second man who was also arrested has been released without charge and will face no further police action.
Harris, who is on bail, will appear at Brighton Magistrates Court on March 9.
An inquest into the death of Mr Baker was opened by the Brighton and Hove Coroner on December 17 and adjourned pending investigations.
© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
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