Nuisance 999 caller who cost emergency services half a million pounds, jailed
16 June 2020, 13:15
A serial nuisance 999 caller who cost the emergency services nearly £500,000 in wasted resources has been handed a two-year jail sentence.
Sharna Dixon of Sheerness made more than 700 nuisance and malicious calls to 99 9and on one occasion broke a police officer’s wrist while they attended an unnecessary callout.
Police investigated after Dixon called out ambulance, police and Coastguard services to hoax and malicious emergenices.
The 27-year-old admitted one count of malicious communications and one count of grievous bodily harm without intent and was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday 15 June 2020.
On 27 September 2019 Dixon called Kent Police to a canal near Halfway Road, Minster on Sea, and when patrols found her, she pushed an attending officer into the water. He sustained a broken wrist and grazing as a result of the assault.
Between November 2017 and February 2020 the court heard Dixon repeatedly called emergency services when she had no valid reason to.
Of these, 473 were made to the South East Coast Ambulance Service which is believed to have cost the NHS £93,654.
Dixon also called Kent Police 162 times and the Kent Coastguard 67 times, with the cost in wasted Coastguard resources estimated to be £350,000. She also called other support services despite not genuinely needing help.
As part of her sentence, she was handed six months in jail for breaching a suspended sentence which related to a charge in 2019 for possession of a knife in a public place.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Jacqueline Mennie said: ‘Despite Dixon’s behaviour, Kent Police and several local agencies attempted to help her numerous times, however, she always refused to engage and continued to maliciously call the emergency services.
‘This behaviour is not acceptable and diverts crews and officers away from genuine people who may critically require help. I hope Dixon’s sentence reinforces this message’.
