A hoax caller sparked two alerts for emergency services by claiming to have seen a dead body in a river in a bid to get “revenge” on police.
A court heard Michael Brown, 23, dialled 999 on two separate occasions claiming to have seen a body in the river Calder at Chantry Bridge, Wakefield.
Brown, of Sanderson Street, Eastmoor, Wakefield, made the first call in the early hours of September 30 this year. A search of the area was made and nothing was found.
Brown then made a second call in the early hours of October 26 making the same claim that he had seen a body in the river.
Fire and ambulance services were called to the scene and the police helicopter was used in the search. Officers managed to trace the call to Brown’s home and went to his home.
He was drunk and abusive when he was arrested.
He said in interview that he had made the first call after being stopped by police earlier in the day and wanted revenge.
Brown said he could not remember making the second hoax call because he was heavily drunk.
He pleaded guilty to two offences of sending a false network message and wasting police time.
The court heard Brown was serving a suspended sentence for assault occasioning actual bodily harm at the time he committed the offences.
Kate Bisset, for Brown, said: “This young man is not very good at thinking things through.
“First, these offences are completely stupid. Secondly, they are a waste of tax payers’ money.”
Miss Bisset said Brown suffered from a behaviour disorder and felt a sense of grievance against the police for stopping in relation to a matter he had nothing to do with.
Judge Roger Ibbotson made Brown the subject of a 12-month community order and fined him £150.
The judge said: “These were stupid offences which caused a lot of trouble.
“The police have quite enough to do as it is without having to deal with false complaints of this matter.”