A CAR crash victim convicted of sexually assaulting a paramedic has had his sentencing adjourned until next year to allow him to receive treatment for his “major drug problem”.

Melvyn Jeffrey Bussell, of Cleenish Park, Enniskillen, who sustained a serious brain injury in a road traffic collision in 2002, told police that he had taken a quantity of so-called ‘legal highs’ before the assault on August 24 last year.

Bussell also faced a series of other charges in connection with the incident last summer.

He was further charged with sexually assaulting a female police officer who interviewed him on the following morning, unlawfully assaulting the paramedic and an ambulance driver, assaulting two male police officers, resisting arrest and the attempted criminal damage of the ambulance.

The 33-year-old, who has been left with severe speech difficulties and limited mobility, denied all the charges against him, but was found guilty by district judge Nigel Broderick at Fermanagh Magistrates Court last month.

The case was then adjourned to allow for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

At his sentencing on Monday, the court heard that, on August 24 last year, police were called to assist an ambulance crew at Cornagrade Road in Enniskillen. The members of the crew were restraining the defendant in the rear of the vehicle.

His belt was undone, his trousers were down and his underpants were exposed, the court heard.

The ambulance crew told officers that, earlier, they had been called to the defendant’s home address. En route to the hospital, Bussell had made “unwanted sexual advances” to a female paramedic in the rear of the ambulance.

He had rubbed her leg and simulated oral sex gestures, the court heard.

After being warned to stop his behaviour, the defendant began to pull objects from the side of the ambulance, including a defibrillator.

As the female paramedic attempted to stop him from removing any equipment, he placed his hands inside her shirt, ripping a button off and exposing her underwear.

As the struggle continued, Bussell assaulted the ambulance driver by striking him on the chest and kneeing him in the groin and also threw an object at the female paramedic.

Following his arrest by the two police officers, the defendant attempted to headbutt one of the constables. He persisted in violently struggling with the officers as he was placed in a police vehicle and conveyed to custody.

On the way there, he attempted to hit and bite the other officer and was further arrested for assaulting police.

He was uncooperative during his detention at the custody suite that night. When he was questioned by two females officers the next morning the interview had to be suspended after he touched his penis.

He also grabbed one of the officers on her buttocks as he left the interview room, the court heard.

During a further interview conducted at a later date, the defendant claimed that he couldn’t remember the events of the night or the next day as he had consumed a “large amount” of ‘legal high’ drugs.

Defending counsel, Gavyn Cairns, urged the judge to consider deferring sentencing in the case for some time to allow his client time to voluntarily engage with the Probation Service.

The barrister outlined the efforts that were being made by the defendant, his mother and their clergyman to have him enrolled with the Community Addictions Team, but admitted that, given his particular needs, the relevant services might not be available in the local area.

In mitigation, Mr Cairns said there had been no further incidents since last August and the defendant had nothing pending against him.

After district judge Nigel Broderick observed that Bussell’s “big problem” was his voluntary decision to take drugs, the barrister said that his client’s mother was under no illusion of the difficulty in her son breaking the pattern of addiction that had been entrenched.

Speaking directly to the defendant, the judge said that the offences had been “totally unacceptable” and he was satisfied there had been no good excuse for his behaviour.

Taking into account Bussell’s complex needs, Mr Broderick said that the offending had been “brought on by a concoction of drink and drugs”.

Describing the defendant as having a “major drugs problem”, the judge said he would adjourn the matter until January 16, 2017 to allow the defendant to engage with the Community Addictions Team and the Probation Service.

“It goes without saying, if you don’t engage as requested or you re-offend, then you run the risk of a custodial sentence,” Mr Broderick added.

READ MORE: Court report with details of Melvyn Bussell's contested hearing.