Retford woman's 999 hoax calls

Amy Corringham rang 999 and the non-emergency 101 number to make "false reports" and also rang back "to say sorry about previous hoxes and then became abusive to staff," said prosecutor Donna Fawcett.

"Numerous visits by police were made to her address or to arrest her," she said.

On January 21, a constable came to her home and as the handcuffs were being put on her wrists, she kicked and kneed him.

The calls and messages took place between November 23, 2018, and January 31, 2019.

Ian Pridham, mitigating, said Corringham suffered "life-changing events", and she "largely dealt with her problems through the use of alcohol."

"A lot of the calls she was making were what she believed were genuine calls," he said.

"She has moved address since these calls took place and things have settled down."

District judge Jonathan Taaffe said he would take the "unusual course" of dealing with the offence by way of a fine, because of her poor mental health at the time.

"When people ring 999 they divert the operators from people who may be in genuine need of assistance," he said.

"That could make the difference between life and death in any given situation."

Corringham, 36, of White Hall Road, admitted three counts of making use of a public communication network to cause a nuisance, on March 29.

She was fined £400 and and ordered to pay £50 compensation to the officer, as well as costs of £85 and a £30 government surcharge, at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Wednesday.