A troublemaker from Sheerness has been sentenced to two years in prison after causing emergency services to waste an estimated £500,000 in resources through malicious calls.
Sharna Dixon, 27, of Richmond Road, Sheerness, made more than 700 malicious calls to emergency services. During one false callout, a police officer was injured when Dixon pushed him into water, resulting in a broken wrist and grazes.
On 27 September 2019, Dixon contacted Kent Police to report a false emergency at a canal near Halfway Road, Minster on Sea. When officers arrived, she pushed one of them into the canal, causing serious injury.
Dixon made 473 calls to the South East Coast Ambulance Service, costing the NHS nearly £94,000. She also rang Kent Police 162 times and the Kent Coastguard 67 times. The wasted Coastguard resources alone are estimated at £350,000.
This pattern of reckless behaviour continued from November 2017 to February 2020, despite multiple offers of help and advice, which Dixon refused to accept.
Dixon had previously received a six-month jail sentence for breaching a suspended sentence related to a 2019 knife possession charge.
Detective Constable Jacqueline Mennie said, “This behaviour is not acceptable and diverts crews and officers away from genuine people who may critically require help. Kent Police and local agencies tried to help Dixon many times, but she refused to engage. I hope Dixon’s sentence sends a strong message.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
