Alness woman gets community service for repeated nuisance calls and police assault when she appears at Inverness Sheriff Court
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A 23-year-old Alness woman who has over 30 convictions for nuisance calling to the emergency services made several more whilst on bail.
Elizabeth Gibson, also known as Janet, appeared for sentence by video link from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court today.
She had been given bail previously after admitting, on indictment, making a spate of nuisance calls over a five-and-a-half hour period last January.
She had also pleaded guilty to possessing a knife.
But shortly after being released, Gibson was back in custody for breaching the Communications Act once more by calling the police three times.
The court heard when officers arrived to arrest her she became violent and it took them more than half an hour to restrain her in a police van on July 17.
During the struggle he struck one officer in the body armour and punched and kicked him.
She pleaded guilty to making the calls, police assault and resisting arrest.
Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald ordered her to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work for these offences and on the indictment matter, placed her on a community payback order with two years' social work supervision.
She told Gibson,of Gordon Terrace, Invergordon: "You have been in and out of jail and this has not stopped you offending. It is almost like a form of self-harm."
After hearing from defence solicitor advocate Neil Wilson, she added: "I will impose another community payback order to try and stop you being a complete nuisance to the emergency services.
"As an alternative to custody, I am going to give you another chance. But if you do not comply, you will go to jail for a significant period of time."
Mr Wilson said he felt like he was saying the same thing over and over again for his client.
"But what I can say this time is the rate of her offending has slowed down considerably," he added.
"The situation is improving. She has a part-time cleaning job and is starting a college course at UHI in September.
"In the past, I have asked the same question of her time and time again: why do you do this? And the answer was 'I don't know'.
"But she has reflected on herself and now says that when stresses in her life build up she bursts.
"When she is in the cells, the stresses are not there.
"She has a very sympathetic social worker working with her who wants her to get another chance."
The court heard previously that the barrage of sometimes incoherent then abusive communications began at 5.14am on January 22, with Gibson using the Novar Road phone box in Alness to threaten police that she was going to kill herself.
The court was told that because of Gibson's previous criminal record for similar offences her voice was recognised.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir said they returned a short time later when she shouted and swore at them, telling them to go away and leave her alone.
Gibson then made another six calls, and on another occasion identified herself and said she was feeling fed up before swearing at the officer.
Police went round to her house and could see her inside and a knife sitting on a table, but she failed to respond.
Later that morning, Gibson made another two calls to Alness police station and was arrested, Mr Weir added.
