Northern Ireland

Derry woman called 101 police line to say she had been on holiday to Benidorm

Tracey McKay (48) of Fern Park in Derry appeared in court charged with persistent abuse of the communication network
Tracey McKay (48) of Fern Park in Derry appeared in court charged with persistent abuse of the communication network Tracey McKay (48) of Fern Park in Derry appeared in court charged with persistent abuse of the communication network

A woman who called the police 101 phone line to tell them she had just returned from Benidorm has been given a suspended sentence.

Tracey McKay (48) of Fern Park in Derry appeared in court charged with persistent abuse of the communication network on dates between January 10 and April 20.

The court heard that McKay was the highest user of the 101 system over a six month period.

Examples were given to the court of her abuse of the system and it was said that in April she made 20 calls to the line.

On April 1 she called to tell the call handlers she had just come back from Benidorm and had future holidays planned. On another occasion she requested that police arrest her as scaffolding at her home was "doing her head in". On April 17 she called to wish the handlers a happy Easter.

Defence solicitor Cormac McKeone said the calls were unwarranted, there was no malicious intent and his client had put her liberty at risk.

Deputy District Judge Liam McStay said it was "a very sad case" but McKay was a nuisance. He told her she was clogging up the system and there could be a genuine emergency while she was on the line.

The judge said no one wanted to prosecute McKay but she had been "going on, going on and going on".

He sentenced her to three months in prison suspended for 12 months.