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'A great nuisance': hoax 999 caller avoids jail

Summary

James Kelly, 32, of Rochford Green, Blackrock, pleaded guilty to six charges of knowingly making false 999 calls between February 2021 and March 2023. He made over 30 bogus calls in two years, causing Gardaí to conduct house‑to‑house enquiries and review hours of CCTV footage, including five LUAS cameras. One call claimed an attempted armed robbery; the investigation found no suspect. Another call on 13 January 2022 reported a pub fight that did not occur. Kelly's voluntary statement in March 2023 acknowledged the waste of resources but he did not explain his motives. He has two prior convictions for possession of articles and one for a public order offence. Judge Pauline Codd imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, fully suspended, with strict conditions: engagement with the Probation Service for one year and addiction support services.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'A great nuisance': hoax 999 caller avoids jail. Charges or matters: six sample charges of knowingly making a false report on dates between February 2021 and March 2023. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• February 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
• March 2023 Incident
• January 13, 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2025-02-17 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Public Order Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report