A WOMAN who persistently misused the emergency 999 system claiming to be suicidal then verbally abusing police who came to her aid has been handed a conditional discharged.
Police were contacted so often over a short space of time by Jill Mary Thompson (44) from Spout Walk, Fivemiletown, they were requested to have a temporary block placed on her number.
Dungannon Magistrates Court heard police attended Thompson’s home on 3 October last year to carry out a welfare check after she told a social worker she was feeling suicidal.
However on arrival she was verbally abusive to officers and stated she was not in fact suicidal.
Shortly after they left Thompson again began phoning 999 and telling call handlers and again claimed to be suicidal. When police returned she told them to leave, then called the 999 service a further 18 times for the next 90 minutes.
During these calls she varied from asking police to come to her home to not speaking at all. Officers were required to contact the call management centre asking for Thompson to be temporarily blocked to stop the hoax calls.
A defence solicitor said the defendant is a very troubled individual who is “incredibly susceptible.” He added there has been no offending since and her behaviour was “a cry for help”.
District Judge Peter Magill noted the sentencing options were very restricted given Thomspon’s particular issues.
He told her, “You know you shouldn’t be doing this sort of thing. It ties up police who may need to be at a genuine emergency. However it’s clear to me you have had a very hard time. You’ve not had your troubles to seek. It appears this was done under the influence of alcohol and is not in character for you. I don’t want this to happen again.” Judge Magill imposed the conditional discharge for two years.
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