A PUBLIC nuisance with a ‘fixation’ on the emergency services breached his restraining order with hoax call to 999.

Thomas Stevens, of Partridge Close in Birchwood, appeared at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Prosecuting, Kassem Noureddine, told the court that in January 2022, Stevens made 39 calls to 999 within a two-week period.

While many of these calls were silent, where he did not speak, at least five incidents saw police, ambulance or the fire service scramble to attend the Birchwood area.

These reports included a person collapsed and not breathing, a stabbing and a number of road traffic collisions.

When he committed these offences, he was in breach of an eight-month suspended sentence that he was handed in 2021 after he cost Northern more than £25,000 in delay compensation after pulling train doors ajar while travelling at 70mph.

For this breach, as well as a sexual offence where he incited a 12-year-old child to engage in sexual activity, Stevens was sentenced to three years imprisonment.

A restraining order was also put in place to prevent Stevens from contacting 999 without good reason to do so.

However, at his sentencing on Tuesday, it was heard that the 23-year-old breached this order on September 21.

Mr Noureddine told the court that Stevens called 999 using a fake name from his mobile phone to report that a woman was ‘on the wrong side of a bridge’.

It was also heard that he later called again to say that the police were not needed as he had gone to get her.

Defending, Ian Weights told the court that the 23-year-old has autism and ADHD, and that at the time of the offending Stevens had been placed in respite care while his family went on holiday.

It was while in this care, it was heard, that Stevens made the 999 call out of ‘anxiety’ from being in an unfamiliar place without his family.

Mr Weights also told the court that Stevens’ ‘fixation’ with the emergency services is part of his autism and is ‘not ideal’.

“It wasn’t sophisticated, it was an urge,” said deputy district Judge Rowan.

“I’m sure you are aware 999 is an extremely important facility in this country. People who are in genuine need of assistance from emergency services call that number.”

Judge Rowan went on to describe the offence as a ‘relapse’ and that calling 999 when not in need can prevent the service from helping people in need.

Stevens, who has three previous convictions for 11 offences, was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.