Woman wasted police time with 197 hoax calls

Jacqueline Elizabeth Hustler, 43, who is blind, deaf and walks with a stick, appeared at Bradford Crown Court last Thursday to be sentenced for public nuisance offences, but her case was adjourned for a psychiatric assessment to be carried out.

An earlier hearing at the city’s magistrates’ court heard Hustler, of Moorgate Avenue, Bradford, pleaded guilty to three counts of making a total of 230 hoax or bogus calls.

She admitted that between February 2 and 10 last year she made a series of calls to Batley Enterprise Centre, including one in which she stated there was a bomb outside the premises.

Between March 2 and July 10 she made hoax calls to Dewsbury and District Hospital, including a false bomb threat which resulted in parts of the hospital being evacuated and ambulances being diverted to other hospitals. Another call alleged a baby had been abandoned outside the building.

The court heard between July 24, 2009 and July 28 2010 she made numerous calls to the police saying she had either been assaulted or raped, resulting in an unspecified number of hours of police time being wasted.

Because of the serious nature of the crimes Hustler’s case was committed to the crown court for sentencing, which will now take place on May 5. Until then she is not allowed to contact the police unless it is an emergency, Batley Enterprise Centre or Dewsbury and District Hospital.

Defending, Charlotte Worsley said since pleading guilty Hustler had made no further hoax calls.