999 Operator Abused By Drunk Caller

Wimbledon Magistrates' Court

An offensive 999 caller verbally insulted the emergency operator with a volley of foul-mouthed abuse, a court heard.

Lisa Sutch, 52, claims she was drunk when she made the call and insists much of the abuse was aimed at herself for failing to stay off alcohol.

She was recorded saying: “Give me your f***ing name, you're f***ing dead. F***ing die.

“Shut up you fat slag,” was also said during the call, along with “black c***.”

Jobless Sutch, of Stuart House, Stuart Road, Richmond-upon-Thames pleaded guilty one count of offensive communication on June 27.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Garcia told Wimbledon Magistrates' Court the female operator took a 999 call from Sutch, who was at her home address.

“At one point during the call she started becoming rude and aggressive.”

The court was then quoted Sutch's words, which the 999 operator described as leaving her “extremely shocked and distressed.”

The operator confirmed she could hear nobody else on the end of the line who Sutch could have been directing her abuse towards.

The defendant was arrested and questioned by the police.

“She had no recollection of the telephone call and said she was drunk at the time and the 999 operator was offensive to her,” said Ms Garcia.

Sutch's lawyer Jenny Winter told the court her client was sleep-deprived due to a noisy neighbour and after quitting alcohol began drinking again when “under pressure.”

“She has a mirror in her hallway to remind herself how awful she looks in drink and was abusing herself.

“When she said: 'black c***' she was referring to an Asian friend she had issues with.

“A lot of this was drunken babbling while depressed and sleep deprived.”

Sutch, who currently lives on Employment Support Allowance has a previous conviction for harassment.

She is also os breach of a twelve-month conditional discharge for an offence of criminal damage.

Bailing Sutch until August 18 for a pre-sentence report magistrate Lindsey Stuart told her: “There is a previous conviction for harassment and there is a seriousness to this.

“What you did was totally unacceptable, but there may be mitigation by virtue of your mental health.”