Paramedic who 'thought he was untouchable' is behind bars after being convicted of raping two women including a nurse and sexually assaulting young girl

A paramedic 'who thought he was untouchable' has been found guilty of raping a patient in her own home and sexually assaulting another patient in the back of his ambulance.

Andrew Wheeler, 46, of Mill Green, Warboys in Cambridgeshire, was on duty in a rapid response car when he was called to help a woman who had collapsed at her friend's house in 2018.

He drove the woman, who was drunk, to her own house where he raped and sexually assaulted her.

Jurors at Peterborough Crown Court convicted him of both offences after three days of deliberation.

The jury also convicted Wheeler of raping a second woman in 2009 on an occasion when she was not a patient, and of sexually assaulting her in the back of his ambulance when she was a patient in 2010.

Andrew Wheeler, 46, (pictured left in 2019 and right, arriving at court earlier this month) was convicted of a string of sexual offences including raping a patient in her own home in 2018

Prosecutor Noel Casey described Wheeler as a “callous sexual abuser who thought he was untouchable'

He added the paramedic 'abused the privilege and trust that wearing an NHS uniform brings'. 

Mr Casey said that Wheeler was working as a single-crew paramedic when he was called to the incident involving the drunk woman.

Wheeler reassured two other paramedics who arrived as a dual-crew that he had things under control and would stay to finish up paperwork, Mr Casey said.

The paramedic then drove the woman to her house where he raped and sexually assaulted her.

As Wheeler left the woman's home 'he said something about losing his job and nobody would believe her as she was an alcoholic', Mr Casey said.

But the victim reported the assault to police and Wheeler was arrested later that day and subsequently, more victims later came forward to report other assaults involving Wheeler. 

The woman who was sexually assaulted in the back of an ambulance had dialled 999 as she was experiencing breathing difficulties, Mr Casey said.

'He took the opportunity to touch her breasts and while administering adrenalin he said 'that's not the first time I've had to jab you with something',' he told the trial.

The offences took place while Wheeler was working as a paramedic for the East of England Ambulance Service Trust and volunteering for St John Ambulance (pictured, file photo)

Mr Casey earlier told jurors that the woman was a patient who 'was struggling to breath in the back of an ambulance'.

'He was there as a clinician wearing an NHS uniform,' he said.

Wheeler had denied 18 sexual offences against four women and one girl.

He was found guilty of six sexual offences - the rape and sexual assault of the two women, and two counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 in respect of a girl who was not a patient.

Wheeler was cleared of causing sexual activity without consent in respect of a third female patient.

He was also cleared of six counts of rape against a woman who was not a patient.

The jury was discharged on Monday, having failed to reach verdicts in respect of five counts of rape against the woman who was not a patient.

The jury's verdicts could not be reported until Tuesday due to a court order that was put in place to allow prosecutors time to consider whether to pursue a retrial.

Jury convicted Wheeler of a string of sexual offences after trial at Peterborough Crown Court 

The order expired on Tuesday afternoon, with the judge confirming it had been lifted.

Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Brunning, of Cambridgeshire Police, said: 'Andrew Wheeler is a predatory individual whose offending has spanned nearly a decade.

'We believe his decision to become a paramedic was influenced by the access it would give him to potentially vulnerable members of the public and this breach of trust makes his appalling offences all the more deplorable.'

Judge Matthew Lowe remanded Wheeler in custody until sentencing on February 12 to allow time for a report to be prepared about the defendant.

A CPS spokesperson said: 'Andrew Wheeler has been found guilty of a string of sexual offences, including multiple rapes against a total of three victims across the county of Cambridgeshire, some of which occurred during his service as a paramedic. The offending occurred over a period of nine years.

'The CPS has carefully reviewed evidence relating to five further allegations made against Mr Wheeler, on which a jury was unable to reach a verdict, following his acquittal by the jury for six further allegations against two other victims.

'As part of our continual review process we have decided that the evidential test is no longer met to continue with a further retrial for those five allegations.'