Question: By. Leon Watson. Needs round-the-clock care: Caren Paterson, 36, collapsed at home and had to wait 100 minutes for an ambulance. A scientist who was left brain damaged after waiting nearly two hours for an ambulance that was parked just 100 yards away has won £5 million compensation. Caren Paterson, 36, had collapsed in the bedroom of her flat in Islington, north London, in October 2007 and was beginning to breathe abnormally when her boyfriend dialled 999. He told the emergency operator that his girlfriend had fallen unconscious, that her lips had turned blue and that she was in need of urgent medical help to save her life. But because the address had been. red-flagged as 'high risk' by the ambulance service, a crew just seconds. away was ordered to wait for a police escort before attending. During the catastrophic delay that followed, Miss Paterson’s boyfriend rang 999 a further two times but still no help arrived. By. the time paramedics did reach Miss Paterson, who was working as a. genetic scientist at King's College, London, her brain had been starved. of oxygen, causing permanent damage, and she had also suffered cardiac. arrest. She survived but is now living in a specialist hospital and is in need of round-the-clock care. She suffers chronic amnesia, confusion and disorientation with the result she will never work again. Today,. Judge Richard Parkes QC approved a settlement against London Ambulance. Service NHS Trust consisting of a £1.4 million lump sum plus lifelong. annual payments. He paid. tribute to the support and devotion of Caren's mother, Eleanor Paterson,. from Warkworth, Northumberland, who was at London's High Court for the. hearing. Afterwards, Mrs. Paterson said: 'My daughter was a successful and ambitious scientist but. it is so distressing that all of her aspirations and ambitions have. been taken away from her because of her brain injury. 'I was determined to ensure Caren had access to the best possible care and support for the rest of her life and it is such a huge relief that the settlement has been approved today. 'Clearly we would rather not be in this situation at all and nothing will ever return our daughter to how she was before. But it is a weight off our minds to know that she will now be able to continue to receive the care, treatment and specialist attention that she needs. 'The thought of an ambulance crew sitting waiting round the corner while my daughter lay in her flat as her condition went from serious to life-threatening, causing irreparable damage to her brain, is still shocking and I hope no-one ever has to go through what we have.' Philip Havers QC, for the trust, expressed its 'sincere apologies' to the family for the shortcomings which had occurred and said it hoped and believed that the damages would go a long way to providing for Ms Paterson's needs in the future. Ms Paterson collapsed at her flat in Islington that she shared with her boyfriend who called 999 three times (file picture) Lawyer John Davis, of Irwin Mitchell, said: 'The failures by the ambulance service in this case were totally unacceptable and it was heartbreaking for her family to learn that an emergency response team was just around the corner but unable to give her the crucial treatment she needed. 'The emergency crews eventually arrived 102 minutes after the first 999 call - but even then there was nobody senior enough on hand to administer the treatment that Ms Paterson needed. 'It is imperative that people in Caren's condition are treated as quickly as possible - delays of even seconds can make a huge difference, let alone delays of well over an hour. 'We have been working with the London ambulance service's legal team to secure a vital settlement which will help to provide the lifetime of care and support she now needs. 'She is currently receiving specialist rehabilitation treatment at a unit in North Yorkshire and, in the long term, it is hoped that Caren can live in her own home with a team of well-trained brain injury carers so that she can establish a permanent routine which suits her severe disability.'
What are the important parts of this article?
Important parts: Caren Paterson collapsed in her flat in Islington in October 2007. Her boyfriend called 999 reporting that she was unconscious. But the ambulance crew 'was told to wait for a. police escort' Ms Paterson, now 36, eventually suffered a cardiac arrest during delay. London Ambulance Service has expressed its 'sincere apologies'

Question: By. Ryan Gorman. PUBLISHED:. 13:16 EST, 18 July 2013. |. UPDATED:. 13:23 EST, 18 July 2013. A Washington man may have come up with the most inventive criminal defense yet. Jeffrey Barton, of Vancouver, WA, allegedly fired his gun into the air Monday to scare off thieves. When arrested and charged with illegal aiming or discharging of a firearm, he blamed Vice President Joe Biden. Barton, 47, claims he woke up early in the morning to find robbers in his car and had no choice but to defend his property. He told me to do it: Jeffrey Barton, 47, said he only did what Vice President Biden told him to do, 'fire my shotgun into the air' ‘I just woke up at about 3 o’clock in the morning and noticed that the dome lights were on in my car and there were three people inside,’ Barton told KOIN. After freely admitting that he fired his weapon, Barton’s tale didn’t sway police. Following his arraingment, Barton said that he was simply following the vice president’s advice. ‘I did what Joe Biden told me to do, I went outside and fired my shotgun in the air,’ he told the station. Barton, of course, was referring to a YouTube town hall meeting in which Vice President Biden said that ‘if you want to protect yourself, get a double-barreled shotgun.’ Self defense: Barton claims he was defending his property from being robbed by firing his shotgun into the air. ‘I said ‘Jill, if there’s ever a problem, just walk out on the balcony here … put that double-barreled shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house,’ Biden colorfully added. Authorities have said that there is no evidence to suggest anyone was on Barton’s property, but neighbors told the station there was a loud party involving high school students the night Barton decided to blast away. Barton only previous criminal charge involved drug paraphernalia, according to court records. Attempts by Mail Online to reach Spokane District Court for further details were unsuccessful. No date has been set for Barton’s next court appearance.
What are the important parts of this article?
Important parts:
Jeffrey Barton's defense refers to the vice president infamously telling a woman to 'buy a shotgun' for self-defense during a YouTube town hall meeting. Police contend that there is no evidence anyone was on Barton's property.