Woman in court over nuisance 999 calls

A WOMAN who made nuisance 999 calls claiming she had been raped and beaten up has been handed a community order.

Patricia Louise Shaw, 39, of Trent View, Marton, near Gainsborough, appeared at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 2nd August.

At a previous hearing she had admitted a charge of persistently making nuisance calls in June this year.

Prosecuting, Marie Stace said Shaw had made ‘numerous’ calls to the police and ambulance services, making claims of rape and violence which, when investigated, were found to be false.

She told the court how on 17th June Shaw made three calls to the ambulance call centre claiming an attacker had robbed her and slashed her with a knife.

Police and ambulance crews attended but found that nothing had happened,” said Miss Stace.

The court heard how a second call claimed she had slashed her throat with a knife. And in a third call she said she had slashed her breast.

Officers found only a superficial wound which did not need medical attention. She also admitted being very drunk.

Defending, Tony Cunningham said Shaw claimed she had once been raped at knifepoint. “It was extremely traumatic and she has flashbacks,” he said.

“On this occasion there was a lot of noise coming from a flat upstairs and she became worried she might be attacked again,” he said.

“She wanted the police there quickly, and the only way she saw to do that was to make up these complaints.”

Magistrates imposed a nine month community sentence with supervision from the probation service, focussed on alcohol awareness.

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