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Nuisance 999 caller admits further offence when her case called at Inverness Sheriff Court; but Alness woman praised by solicitor for resisting compulsion longer than normal


By Ali Morrison

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Inverness Justice Centre.
Inverness Justice Centre.

A 23-year-old Ross-shire woman who habitually makes nuisance calls to the emergency services was praised on Friday for resisting her compulsion for seven weeks.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told that Elizabeth Gibson, formerly from Fortrose but now living in Westford, Alness had been released from a prison sentence on March 2, imposed for a similar offence.

But she appeared from custody on Friday before Sheriff Gary Aitken who had dealt with her in the past for pestering the 999 service.

She admitted that between May 12 and May 14, she repeatedly made calls to the service and uttered threats of violence.

Gibson also admitted previous convictions, which her lawyer, Neil Wilson, described as "a remarkable record of consistent offending for this type of offence."

He said she was on a community payback order and that a background report would be necessary before sentencing.

Mr Wilson added: "There may be a degree of inevitability about the eventual sentence but I would ask for her release on bail.

"Normally she offends in this way with two or three days of her release from prison but she resisted it for almost seven weeks.

"She has been doing her best to stay out of trouble."

Sheriff Aitken agreed and granted bail after deferring sentence until June 12.

He told Gibson: "It is longer than you normally take so I will give you the benefit of the doubt. The 999 service is for proper emergencies, not for when you are feeling lonely or peaky.

"I won't make a special condition that you don't unnecessarily call 999 because you shouldn't be doing it anyway."

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