Woman made bogus 999 call

A 48-year-old woman who made a bogus 999 call was given a suspended prison sentence last Thursday at Banbridge Magistrates Court.

Gail Chambers, whose address was given as Bannview, Gilford, admitted sending a message that she knew was false on August 25 last year.

She was sentenced to five months in prison, suspended for three years.

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The court heard that she made a 999 call which was alleged to have come from the defendant’s carer saying that Chambers had taken an overdose of tablets.

When police arrived she was verbally abusive to them and when a call was made to the number used for the 999 call it was answered by her.

The carer was not present and she confirmed she had left earlier and had not made any calls.

A solicitor representing Chambers, who appeared in court in a wheelchair, handed in a pre-sentence report used at a previous court and said his client had been heavily dependent on social services all of her life.

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District Judge, Mr Liam McNally, pointed out that this was her fourth offence of this nature.

The defendant’s barrister said this call was made during a suicide bid and asked the court to impose a sentence to run alongside a suspended sentence Chambers had received at Laganside court.

He added that he was requesting one last chance from the court.

Judge McNally said there was sympathy for the defendant’s physical and mental difficulties but on the other side she continually abused a very important service, wasting the time of the police and other agencies.

He warned that if she continued the court was going to disregard her difficulties and she would be going to prison.