A WOMAN with a drink problem made repeated nuisance calls to police, many via the 999 emergency line, within a few weeks, a court was told.

Charlotte Davies, who was subject to a suspended prison sentence when she made the drunken calls, was yesterday jailed for nine months, after Durham Crown Court heard that she ignored numerous warnings about wasting the time and resources of the emergency services.

Martin Towers, prosecuting, said the 45-year-old former care worker received the six-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, last November, for assaulting her then boyfriend, pushing him down the stairs, causing a fracture to his collar bone.

Mr Towers said the first of the latest offences took place on May 22 when she made repeated 999 calls, without valid reason, ignoring warnings to desist.

Two of the calls resulted in an ambulance being dispatched to her home in Cedar Road, Bishop Auckland.

“She wasn’t ill, but drunk, and it was at a time when demand for ambulance services were high, therefore causing a potential risk to other members of the public,” said Mr Towers.

Davies told police it was, “a cry for help”, describing herself as an alcoholic.

While on bail she made four calls to the non-emergency police number, saying she was suicidal, four days later, but when officers went to her house she said she was not suicidal and ignored offers of help.

Having admitted two charges brought under the Telecommunications Act, on June 16, she was committed by magistrates to the crown court for sentence as she was in breach of the previous suspended sentence.

But, Mr Towers said she made 16 999 calls to police after her partner was admitted to hospital in the early hours of June 28.

She received four warnings about her conduct but was abusive to the call handler, and it resulted in her arrest at 5.45am.

Having expressed regret in her police interview, she admitted a further count brought under the Telecommunications Act, later that day.

She appeared for sentence for all three charges of sending false messages, “causing annoyance or inconvenience to another”, plus the breach of suspended sentence, at the crown court.

John Turner, mitigating, said Davies previously held down a responsible job, looking after vulnerable adults, but her, “downward spiral” began after a split with a former partner.

This triggered bouts of heavy drinking, which often landed her before the criminal courts.

Mr Turner said despite attempts at seeking help, she has, “dropped off the wagon” several times, but is eager to address her, “genuine long-term problems”.

Jailing her, Judge Simon Hickey said her actions could have left people seeking genuine assistance from the emergency services at risk, adding that she had been given plenty of warnings which she chose to ignore.

He warned her any subsequent similar offending would only result in longer custodial sentences being passed by the courts.