A man has been given a year-long suspended prison sentence because he repeatedly rang the 999 services when there wasn't an emergency.

Gary Anthony Sullivan falsely claimed people were being held at gunpoint when he dialled 999 on June 17, 2023, York Magistrates Court heard. He also claimed people were unconscious.

Ambulance and police staff responded to the fake 999 call when there was no need for their attendance.

Sullivan had previously made nuisance calls to the emergency services and as a result is currently subject to a three-year criminal behaviour order (CBO) which bans him from dialling 999 or North Yorkshire Police unless there is a genuine emergency.

The fake call about people being held at gunpoint was one of several made by Sullivan when there wasn’t a genuine emergency after the CBO was made, the court heard.

Sullivan, of Richard Street, Selby, denied making a nuisance call on June 17, 2023, breaching the CBO by the June 17 call and wasting police resources on the same day, failure to attend court on February 13, 2024 and May 2, 2024, for earlier hearing and July 10, 2024, when it was listed for trial, breaching the CBO by contacting North Yorkshire Police on the non-emergency police number 101 on January 11, 2024, and March 6, 2024 and breaching the CBO by contacting police via 101 on May 2, 2024.

His case was adjourned for trial and when he didn't attend it, the court went ahead with the case and convicted him in his absence on all charges. 

He was given a 52-week prison sentence suspended for two years. The district judge who sentenced him said he suspended the sentence so that Sullivan could continue to seek support for his mental health problems.

York Magistrates Court made the criminal behaviour order on December 19, 2022, for three years after Sullivan pleaded guilty to two charges of making nuisance calls to the emergency services. He remains subject to it until December 18, 2025.

He can be jailed for up to five years every time he breaks the order.