A 48-yr-old man has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for making over 11,000 nuisance calls to emergency services, disrupting emergency lines for nearly 130 hours in 2023, reports RTE.
William Greene, of Bective Square, Phibsborough in Dublin, was already under a suspended sentence for providing false information in a hoax 999 call.
He appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and pleaded guilty to two counts of persistently misusing the telecommunications system to cause annoyance, interference, or undue anxiety between 8 March and 9 November 2023, reports RTE.
Detective Garda Jeremy Gibbons said the investigation began after authorities noticed a high volume of calls from two specific phone numbers.
“Due to the excessive number, these numbers were monitored to a greater extent than typical nuisance-type calls. This was far in excess,” he explained, reports RTE.
On one occasion, a call taker recognized Greene’s voice and phrases. Listening to previous call recordings confirmed a repeated pattern—he expressed hatred for the guards and used abusive language.
“You’ll be in trouble”
In another instance, a call taker asked, “Is this William Greene? You’ll be in trouble,” reports RTE.
He responded that he was always in trouble and added: “F**k the guards, Up the Dubs,” along with other expletives.
The phone number was traced to him, leading to a home search where a Nokia mobile phone with the associated SIM card was found. He was arrested in October 2023.
However, the calls persisted even after his initial arrest. A second home search uncovered another phone. Despite denying ownership of a phone or making the calls, he acknowledged struggles with mental health and the need for help, reports RTE.
Det Gda Gibbons reported that Greene made 11,043 calls, totaling 7,757.6 minutes or 129 hours. The exact number of genuine emergency calls blocked due to his actions could not be determined.
At times, he made over 100 calls per hour, overwhelming emergency lines in Laois, Offaly, and Kildare. Many were silent or ‘hang-up’ calls, requiring responders to follow protocol to check if assistance was needed, reports RTE.
Given his denial, authorities conducted extensive work, including cell site analysis, to confirm his connection to the calls.
The court heard that Greene was already under a suspended sentence for making a false 999 call and had 20 previous convictions, including public order and criminal damage offenses.
The garda agreed with the defense that Greene had a severe alcohol addiction and was intoxicated when making the calls, reports RTE.
Since his custody began in October, he had presented himself better than before.
Judge Martin Nolan remarked that emergency services were likely relieved that Greene was now in prison.
“I should keep him in custody because he’s a menace, isn’t he?” he said, reports RTE.
However, defense counsel noted that Greene, a qualified chef who had worked for the HSE, had pleaded guilty early and engaged constructively with the justice system.
A psychological report described him as a fundamentally good person who had lost his way. Since entering prison, he had faced a wake-up call and begun addressing his addiction, reports RTE.
Judge Nolan stated this was not an isolated incident but a consistent pattern of misconduct.
He sentenced Greene to three years in prison, suspending the final 20 months on the condition that he enter a bond, reports RTE.
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