A WOMAN bombarded police, ambulance and medical services with nuisance phone calls.
Blackburn magistrates heard the calls continued despite Joanna Procter being issued with a fixed penalty and then signing a contract agreeing not to contact police, NHS or mental health services if it wasn’t urgent.
Procter, 24, of Church Street, Clitheroe, pleaded guilty to two charges of causing wasteful employment of the police. She was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
Jade Coleman, prosecuting, said between January 2020 and January 2021 Procter had made 466 calls.
She said the prosecution were seeking a criminal behaviour order which would prohibit Procter from contacting the police, North West Ambulance Service or East Lancashire Medical group, the out of hours GP, unless there was a genuine emergency which required immediate assistance.
Zabair Afzal, defending, said his client’s persistent calling of the police and other services was a cry for help.
“The mental health team were not helping her and she says they were putting the phone down on her,” said Mr Afzal. “She didn’t know what else to do but phone the police. She understands she was given a warning at the beginning of last year and then put on this contract.”
Mr Afzal said at the time his client was suffering from significant mental health issues.
“Her mother had passed away and her best friend had taken their own life and she was in a bad place,” said Mr Afzal.
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