Sunderland nuisance caller given final warning after bothering police

A drunken man arrested after making nuisance calls to police from a phone booth has been spared jail but given a final warning to behave.

Magistrates told Daniel Storey, 32, of Tatum Street, Sunderland, he was in offending's last chance saloon - and urged him to stay out of trouble.

He appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court to plead guilty to being drunk and disorderly in public while homeless on Saturday, September 16.

Although that offence was punished with a minimal absolute discharge, he committed it while subject to an eight-month jail term, suspended for 18 months.

That was imposed at North Yorkshire Magistrates’ Court in December after his conviction for being in possession of a bladed article.

Magistrates deciding his fate at his hearing for being drunk and disorderly decided not to activate the suspended sentence.

But Harry Metcalfe, chair of the bench, told him: “We’ve taken into account you’ve got yourself a place to live.

"This is your last chance. The next time, you’re probably ending up in prison. You need to stay out of trouble. Got it? Get yourself sorted out and settled.”

Prosecutor Rebecca Gibson said Storey made calls to police 999 operators from a booth in city centre Fawcett Street.

She added: “A police officer attended to locate a male who is now known to be the defendant in a telephone kiosk.

“He had been telephoning the police. He had appeared intoxicated while on the phone.

“He was heard to swear. There were members of the public in the area, and he appeared to be drunk.

“He is in breach of the suspended sentence which was imposed in December for possession of a bladed article.”

The court heard Storey has 23 previous criminal convictions from 33 offences, the last being his blade crime.

Defending himself, he said only: “I just want to say that I’m sorry. I was homeless, I’m sorry.”

Magistrates ordered him to pay £85 court costs.

ENDS