Doncaster woman is jailed after making hundreds of nuisance 999 calls

58-year-old Helen Spencer, 58, of Westfield Close, Tickhill called ambulance crews and police repeatedly last October, November and January – with her actions landing her a 15 month spell behind bars.

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

Sheffield Crown Court judge 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.

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.

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.