Doncaster woman jailed over hundreds of nuisance 999 calls

Yorkshire Ambulance Service said Spencer's calls had increased call-out times to genuine emergencies

A woman who bombarded emergency services with hundreds of nuisance 999 calls has been jailed for 15 months.

Helen Spencer, 58, of Westfield Close, Doncaster, made dozens of unwarranted calls in October, November and January despite previously being warned she would be jailed if she did not stop.

On one occasion she rang 999 while paramedics were already at her home responding to an earlier call.

A Sheffield Crown Court judge told Spencer "enough is enough".

Jeremy Richardson KC said: "This cannot go on. You must alter your ways and unless you do I'm afraid the courts must act and with a sense of purpose to put a stop to this."

The court heard Spencer harboured what the judge described as "preposterous historical grievances" against authorities including Yorkshire Ambulance Service and South Yorkshire Police.

Spencer was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court

The defendant had been given an 18-month suspended jail term in June last year after calling 999 more than 900 times in previous years.

Spencer made dozens more emergency calls - including 32 to Yorkshire Ambulance Service - between 5 October and 16 November 2022, and further calls on 16 January this year.

The ambulance service said Spencer's offending had had an "adverse effect" on patients and had increased call-out times to genuine emergencies as well as costing the NHS £1,500.

Ian West, in mitigation, said a doctor who analysed Spencer had concluded she had mixed personality disorder comprised of emotional, dissocial and paranoid symptoms.

Mr Richardson said he was "not unmindful" of Spencer's psychological problems and was "prepared to be merciful," but added a prison sentence was unavoidable.

He warned Spencer she faced being jailed "for years" if she resumed the nuisance calls after her release.

The judge sentenced her to 12 months for breaching the suspended sentence order and a further three months for two counts of improper use of a public electronic communications network for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.