News / 999 nuisance caller is refused bail
A TEENAGER with a persistent habit of making 999 nuisance calls has been refused bail and will spend the next fortnight in jail after once again calling police without good cause.
Nineteen year old Nathan Hilditch, of Horseshoe Close, Virkie, admitted the offence and an additional charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at the Esplanade in Lerwick on Saturday.
Just over three weeks ago Hilditch, who works in a local hotel, was warned he faced prison if he phoned police again without a legitimate reason.
The latest calls to the emergency service, on Saturday and Sunday, took place while he was serving a community payback order.
At the Esplanade on Saturday, which was his 19th birthday, Hilditch had threatened to jump into the sea and attempted to run into the road in front of moving traffic.
Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said Hilditch had made “literally dozens and dozens” of hoax calls to police and described his behaviour as stemming from “pure wickedness”.
“If he is liberated on bail he will simply offend again,” MacKenzie told Lerwick Sheriff Court. “This isn’t drink related; this is pure wickedness. There’s no other explanation for it.”
Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client had not been able to explain his behaviour and acknowledged police officers had “bent over backwards” to avoid arresting him again.
But he disputed that Hilditch was behaving out of wickedness, instead saying it was a “cry for help” from a teenager living alone and feeling isolated from his family.
Honorary sheriff Erik Peterson said that, in light of previous warnings about the consequences of a repeat, he had no alternative but to reject bail while a criminal justice report is prepared.
The case has been continued until 20 March.
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