Man Jailed for 999 Prank Calls – Ties Up Emergency Line 45 Times
Simon Beynon, 45, from Overton, was slammed with a 16-month prison sentence at Winchester Crown Court on August 31. The court found him guilty of repeatedly abusing the 999 emergency service and breaching a criminal behaviour order.
Relentless 999 Calls Disrupt Emergency Service
Beynon kicked off his nuisance spree on October 23, 2021, at 9.36pm, ringing the police control room 45 times until the next morning. Most calls were silent except for muffled noises, and he never engaged with call handlers. By 10.06pm, he had already dialled 21 times – sometimes with a TV audible in the background.
Criminal Behaviour Order Ignored
This wasn’t Beynon’s first offence. He had a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order slapped on him in May 2021, after being convicted earlier that year for the same crime. Despite this, he continued abusing the emergency service by making false calls.
Police Slam ‘Contemptible’ Actions
Supt Anna Skelton condemned Beynon’s behaviour. “His actions took valuable time away from our call takers, who should have been helping people experiencing genuine emergencies,” she said. “Our staff work under extreme pressure and deal with people in their darkest hour. Treating them with such contempt is abhorrent.”
“With high call volumes recently, this sentence should remind everyone to only dial 999 in a real emergency. Prank calls are a serious offence and can land you behind bars,” Skelton added.
