A Swindon woman has been handed a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order after making 24 calls to the ambulance service in just five days, including seven that were treated as life-threatening emergencies. Jennefer Sculley, 44, of Ferndale Road, Swindon, appeared before Swindon Magistrates’ Court after repeatedly calling the South Western Ambulance Service between 16 and 21 July.
Wiltshire Police said Sculley reported a range of medical complaints, with seven of the calls being graded as Category 1 incidents – the highest emergency priority reserved for immediately life-threatening situations requiring an urgent ambulance response.
Repeated emergency responses
Officers said that each time paramedics attended, Sculley was found not to require medical treatment. Shortly after ambulance crews left, she would dial 999 again, triggering another Category 1 response.
Police warned that the repeated misuse of emergency services diverted vital resources away from genuine medical emergencies.
Assaulted officers during arrest
Sculley was arrested on 21 July, during which she assaulted two police officers. The following day she appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court, where she pleaded guilty to:
- Persistently making use of a public communications network to cause annoyance, inconvenience and anxiety.
- Two counts of assaulting a constable in the execution of their duty.
Two-year Criminal Behaviour Order
As part of her sentence, the court imposed a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) designed to prevent further misuse of emergency services. The order prohibits Sculley from:
- Calling 999 unless there is a genuine emergency.
- Calling 101 except to report a crime.
- Contacting NHS 111 unless she genuinely requires medical advice.
- Asking members of the public to contact emergency services on her behalf unless there is an immediate genuine emergency.
- Engaging in anti-social behaviour that causes harassment, alarm or distress.
- Behaving in a hostile, belligerent or antagonistic manner towards emergency service workers, either in person or through electronic communication.
Police: “Lives were put in danger”
Neighbourhood Inspector Loz Copeland said Sculley’s actions placed unnecessary pressure on already stretched emergency services.
He said:
“Sculley’s repeated calls to the ambulance service would have prevented others from receiving urgent treatment and triage, putting lives in danger.
“I hope this order will serve to curtail Sculley’s behaviour and ease the strain on the emergency services so they can better serve the public who are in genuine need of an urgent response.”
Wiltshire Police said the Criminal Behaviour Order aims to protect emergency service resources and ensure they remain available for those facing genuine life-threatening situations.
