A NUISANCE 999 caller who repeatedly phoned emergency services for no good reason has been jailed for flouting a court ban after just three days.
Serial pest Sandra Barwick was handed a community penalty two weeks ago after calling police and falsely claiming she had been raped.
At the time, Kidlington's emergency call centre manager slammed her for being a drain on public resources after police had to go to her home.
The 63-year-old of Whitehouse Road, Oxford was jailed at Oxford Crown Court yesterday after it was revealed she had flouted her ban just days after she was sentenced.
Barwick was first handed a criminal behaviour order to stop her calling 999 unnecessarily in October last year.
As part of that court order, she was forbidden from contacting the emergency services except in the event of a 'genuine emergency.'
She earlier pleaded guilty to one count of breaching that order by calling police on 999 for a 'non emergency matter' and was given a community order on October 21.
Read also: Huge boa constrictor on the loose in Oxford
At the same court yesterday, prosecutors said that she again rang 999 just three days later on October 24.
The court heard that she told operators 'she could not cope and needs help.'
She refused to say which emergency service she needed and was put through to a mental health service, when she hung up.
Police later went to her home and she answered the door and said 'big deal.'
In mitigation her defence team said that Barwick had felt overwhelmed at the time and found herself in rent arrears.
It was also said that while in prison she had been in receipt of medication for her mental health.
Sentencing, Judge Nigel Daly revoked the community order he had previously imposed and jailed her for a total of 18 months.
She was also ordered to pay a statutory victim surcharge.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel