A DRUNK man called 999 five times in just over 90 minutes claiming to have had a heart attack and giving false names – including Engelbert Humperdinck and Archibald Windybottom.
Michael Brown was described by the judge, Recorder Simon Hughes, as a “habitual waster of the time of the emergency services” as he was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court.
Brown had been made the subject of a criminal behaviour order in September last year which barred him from contacting the emergency services unless in a genuine emergency, and ordered that he must give his name and location whenever he did call 999.
However, between 1.52am and 3.39am on October 3, he phoned for an ambulance five times, prosecutor Brian Simpson told the court.
He claimed to be having a heart attack, and gave false names – including Engelbert Humperdinck, Archibald Windybottom, and John Callaghan – as well as false addresses.
Brown was “abusive” towards a call handler, Mr Simpson said, and when asked to give his name and address, he replied: “That would be inadvisable because I’ll find out where you live and blow your house up”.
The police and ambulance attended Brown’s address at around 7.30am, and he was warned about calling the emergency services.
“It wasn’t until October 6 following another two calls to the ambulance service that the police arrested him,” Mr Simpson said. “He was abusive to the paramedics who also attended.”
Brown, 63, of Talsarn, has 21 previous convictions for 39 offences – including three breaches of the criminal behaviour order and multiple previous convictions for similar offences.
David Singh, in mitigation, said the defendant “does regret his behaviour and is embarrassed by it”.
He said Brown had been “highly intoxicated” and had been unable to get information about his partner who was in hospital at the time.
“He appreciates now the situation in which he placed the emergency services,” Mr Singh said.
Addressing Brown, Recorder Harris said: “I find any remorse on your behalf hollow.
“If you were released in to the community you would indeed offend again.”
Brown admitted the offences, and was jailed for 16 months for breaching the criminal behaviour order – with four months, running concurrently, for persistently making using of a public communications network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety, and two months – also running concurrently – for sending communications of an offensive nature.
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