Nuisance Wakefield caller demanded £500,000 from police or he 'would start shooting'
A known nuisance who pestered 999 call handlers and demanded cash from the police said he would start shooting them if they refused.
A judge at Leeds Crown Court said Benjamin Parker was simply “spouting rubbish” after he persistently called the emergency services earlier this year.
The 40-year-old was given a community order with an alcohol-treatment requirement after the judge said he “clearly had an issue” with drink.
Parker, who has a long record criminal record spanning 24 years, made his first call on January 29, wanting to report a theft.
He then rang back and demanded £250,000, claiming the police owed him it for “beating him up” in the past.
He said he wanted the man who stole from him to be arrested or he would shoot him using a gun he had.
On February 1 Parker rang back claiming the police had stolen from him, and he wanted £500,000 put into his account.
He told them he was “still in the Armed Forces” and telling them he “wanted f****** paying” or he would start shooting officers.
Parker then rang again saying he was going to stab officers and have the police station blown up.
He was arrested on February 2 and gave a no-comment interview.
The court heard that Parker, of Portland Street, Wakefield, was last before the courts in July of last year for outraging public decency after he was seen with his penis out in public.
He has 30 previous convictions for 54 offences, including harassment and breach of a criminal behaviour order (CBO), imposed for his low-level nuisance behaviour.
During his appearance in court this week, he admitted persistently making use of a public communications network to cause inconvenience, annoyance or anxiety.
No mitigation was offered by his barrister James Littlehales after the judge said he not lock him up.
Instead, Recorder Anthony Dunne gave him a 24-month community order with the nine-month alcohol treatment requirement and 30 rehabilitation days with probation.
He told Parker: “I hope that you now finally understand just how distressing and frightening it must have been for those on the other end of your malicious and threatening calls, to have to listen to the rubbish you were spouting.”