A drunken time-waster who repeatedly dialled 999 ”to get a lift home” has been told he could face a custodial sentence.
Emergency service call handlers warned Greg Smith he was committing an offence and told him Tayside Police ”was not a taxi service”.
However, the inebriated 20-year-old would not be put off and continued to tie-up the emergency line with calls for assistance.
Officers were soon sent to an address near Crieff where Smith was found to be heavily under the influence of alcohol. He was however able to tell officers that he had fallen out with friends and simply needed a lift home to Alyth.
Their warnings about the dangers of misusing the 999 system once again fell on deaf ears as no sooner had they left he was back on the phone once again.
Call handlers in Dundee sent the officers back to the house after receiving yet another call requesting that he be given a ride home.
Depute fiscal John Malpass said: ”He achieved a lift halfway home I suppose as the officers took him to divisional police headquarters in Perth where he was held in custody.”
Smith, of Victoria Street, Alyth, admitted that on September 2 last year at an address near Crieff he made use of the 999 system to report to call handlers that he required the services of the police, knowing that this was not the case.
An incredulous Sheriff Robert McCreadie told Smith he was facing a custodial sentence, not least because he had been on three court bail orders at the time of the offence.
”You were warned not once but twice by the police and yet you continued to dial 999, which is to be used for life-and-death purposes.
“Do you know what could have resulted from your frivolous calls had someone genuine been trying to get through to report a serious matter? Someone could have been attacked; they may have been taken ill or someone could have been seriously injured.
”It is disgusting that you would treat the 999 system in this way. That you had taken alcohol is not an excuse. It just makes the offence even worse.”
Sentence was deferred upon Smith until May 22 for the preparation of a social inquiry report and for Smith to be of good behaviour.
The sheriff asked that the report investigate Smith’s alcohol and substance abuse.