A BELFAST mother phoned police to declare she planned to shoot her three children and “go out with a bang”, a court has heard.
The 34-year-old woman was given a six-month suspended prison sentence for making threats which led to armed response officers being deployed. She cannot be named to protect the identities of her children.
Belfast Magistrates Court heard the woman made a 999 call on December 16 2021 in which she threatened to kill her ex-partner and three kids at an address in the city.
During the call she told police: “I have nothing to live for, I’m going out with a bang and it will be memorable.”
The woman then stated: “I will kill my children, I will shoot them.”
Backed by an armed support unit, PSNI officers attended the scene and arrested the defendant.
She admitted making threats to kill and improper use of a public electronic communications network.
The woman was also convicted of disorderly behaviour and criminal damage in connection with two separate incidents at hospitals in Belfast.
Prosecutors said she broke the door handle off a police car after being detained on May 7 last year for shouting and screaming in a waiting area at the Mater Hospital.
The woman was arrested again when officers were called to the Royal Victoria Hospital on October 23.
“She was aggressive to staff and threw a fan at nurses, but this was caught by a doctor,” a Crown lawyer said.
Defence barrister Michael Boyd told the court there was no excuse for his client’s drink-fuelled behaviour.
But he added: “She is a deeply vulnerable lady who has had a whole host of genuinely awful things happen to her over the years.”
Imposing six months custody, District Judge Steven Keown suspended the term for two years.