A MAN who called police for a lift home from the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH), among other matters, has been given community service for persistently calling emergency number 101.
Tony Cahall (44), of Woodside in Omagh, appeared before Enniskillen Magistrates’ Court on a number of charges of persistent improper use of electronic communications.
The court heard that between January 7 2024 and April 27 2025, Cahall had made a number of persistent calls to police on the emergency number 101.
In a detailed report to the court, the PPS said that Cahall appeared to be ‘intoxicated’ when he was making the calls, where he was also said to ‘verbally abuse’ several Police officers.
The court heard that, on one day in December 2024, Cahall made nine calls to the Police.
On other occasions, he contacted the Police to request a lift home to his residence after spending time in the SWAH, while he also phoned them regarding the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.
The court also heard that Cahall contacted the Police when he refused to leave the Emergency Department at the SWAH, playing ‘sectarian music’ during the subsequent call.
District Judge, Alana McSorley, said that Cahall used the 101 number ‘like it was a taxi service’. She also recognised that Cahall has lived through a ‘fair share of hardship’.
After reviewing the facts of the case, she sentenced him to 150 hours of community service.