Barnsley Woman Jailed After Squandering £95,000 of Police and NHS Resources
A Barnsley woman has been locked up after draining over £95,000 from South Yorkshire Police and racking up even more costs for the ambulance service, NHS, and social care.
Courtney Lowe Faces the Music Over Criminal Behaviour Order Breach
23-year-old Courtney Lowe of Dillington Square appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on 14 December. She was charged with breaching her Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), slapped on her by Barnsley Safer Neighbourhood Service.
The CBO aimed to curb Lowe’s relentless and costly behaviours. For four years, a dedicated police officer and a team of mental health experts, social workers, and support agencies worked to manage her false calls and bogus care allegations.
False Calls and Assaults Rack Up Huge Costs
- From 2021 to 2023, Lowe made 82 calls to police, prompting 46 deployments and over 1,000 police resource hours.
- She repeatedly faked overdoses and self-harm to drain NHS and mental health services.
- Lowe assaulted nurses, doctors, security staff, and police officers more than 30 times.
PC Mark Whittaker said: “Lowe caused a sudden demand on services from 2019. Despite ongoing support, her behaviour worsened. After initial warnings, we applied for a CBO in June 2022 due to her repeated breaches.”
Costs Soar as Lowe Defies Orders
Despite court orders, Lowe carried on causing chaos. Ambulance calls alone in July and August 2023 cost £4,779.
PC Whittaker added: “When you add in police investigations, custody costs, and emergency responses, Lowe’s actions over three years have cost South Yorkshire Police £95,416.”
He slammed the waste: “Time and money spent on Lowe could have gone to victims of crime and keeping South Yorkshire communities safe.”
Jail Sentence Brings Relief
After a lengthy battle, Lowe was sentenced to three years behind bars, putting an end to her costly reign of false alarms and assaults.
