His son was murdered on the job. Now a long-awaited trial is promising change

For Jeff Tougher, the fight to protect paramedics has been a long and often frustrating journey, but more than three years after his son Steven was murdered while on duty, he remains determined.

After years of campaigning for stronger protections for emergency workers, a trial examining the suitability of stab-resistant vests for NSW paramedics is finally under way, marking a significant step in a campaign that has attracted widespread support across the state.

Steven Tougher, 29, was fatally stabbed 55 times outside a McDonald’s restaurant in Campbelltown in 2023 while working as a paramedic. His death sent shockwaves through the community and sparked calls for improved safety measures for frontline personnel.

His killer, Jordan James Fineanganofo, was found not criminally responsible on mental health grounds.

In the aftermath, Tougher launched the Steven’s Law campaign, calling for four key measures: stab-resistant vests, body-worn cameras, tougher penalties for assaults on frontline workers and a comprehensive public awareness campaign.

He has visited ambulance stations across NSW, met more than 1000 paramedics, distributed 4000 campaign bumper stickers and collected 99,733 signatures, which he presented to NSW Parliament.

But Tougher remains frustrated by the pace of change. The NSW government rejected mandatory minimum sentences on the grounds they could undermine judicial discretion, while the rollout of body-worn cameras remains under consideration.

“Three-and-a-half years since what happened to my son and realistically, nothing has changed. Paramedics and frontline workers are no safer today than they were back then,” he said.

Tougher said he was not demanding paramedics wear protective vests throughout their shifts, but wanted them inside ambulances so staff could put them on when they believed a situation presented a risk.

“It’s just about having this option available when they need to,” he said.

“Had my boy had his on at the time, had they supplied them, it might have been a different result.”

Charles Sturt University, which received NSW Ambulance grant funding to investigate the feasibility of the vests, confirmed the first phase of the project was under way.

A university spokesman said researchers were working with an Australian developer on a design tailored to paramedic duties. Controlled simulations were being used to assess whether the vests restricted movement, before field trials began.

A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said findings from the field trials would inform a broader strategy for the prevention of occupational violence.

“Paramedics have our full support not to enter a scene, or to withdraw from a situation which is assessed to be unsafe,” the spokeswoman said.

Tougher said almost every paramedic he had spoken to during his campaign had expressed support for Steven’s Law, with many having experienced threats and violence.

Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data showed there were 1316 assaults in NSW hospitals and healthcare settings in the year to June.

Tougher believes Steven’s Law would establish a clear public message that violence against frontline workers would carry consequences.

“Once you get something called Steven’s Law, it becomes part of the vernacular and the public understand it,” he said. “I’m not here for myself. I’m here for my son and the paramedics. I’ve got to keep going because I’ve come this far.”

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