Suspended jail term for teenage 999 hoax caller
A teenager with a grudge against police has been handed a suspended jail term for making hundreds of hoax 999 calls between Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Kerry Ann Moate, 18, of Samuel Jones Crescent, Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire, made 756 nuisance calls to emergency services in two days.
Magistrates at Huntingdon Law Courts heard she was arrested after police traced her phone.
Moate was given a four-month sentence suspended for two years.
History of offences
The teenager, who will be subject to supervision and mental health orders, was ordered to pay £85 in legal costs.
At an earlier hearing, she pleaded guilty to two counts of persistently making use of the public communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety.
She had been warned she could face jail.
The court heard Moate had a long-standing grudge against police and a history of similar offences.
Police had classed finding Moate as "critical" because her actions were putting the public in danger.
Kevin Warboys, for the defence, said: "She was in a very low mood and Christmas is always a difficult time for her for historical reasons.
"She also had long-term frustrations with the police."
He described her as an "isolated individual" who only had "one friend in the world".
She was on benefits and considered herself unemployable, he added.
Detective Superintendent Paul Fullwood said: "The sheer volume of malicious calls was extremely disruptive to the force at a time of year that is always busy for police.
"Today's sentence sends out a clear message about the severity of this offence.
"This behaviour is completely unacceptable and we will continue to pursue those who make malicious calls."