During a two-week period, a homeless individual falsely reported 72 serious crimes to the police. Richard Lawton, aged 37, placed hoax calls to emergency services claiming incidents of murder and kidnapping. However, upon police arrival, no actual crimes were taking place. Lawton was cautioned that further false reports could lead to his arrest.
Despite the warnings, Lawton persisted in making fake emergency calls. Recently, he appeared at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre where he received a 12-month community order for his actions.
According to prosecutor Suzanne Swindail, Lawton inundated Staffordshire Police with 72 deceptive calls between September 1 and 13. The calls included false reports of murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery. Law enforcement repeatedly found no evidence of any ongoing crimes during their responses. Lawton was explicitly warned to refrain from making non-emergency calls, but he disregarded the warnings, leading to his arrest on September 13. Two mobile phones used by Lawton were confiscated, one of which made 67 of the hoax calls.
During his police interview, Lawton claimed he called the authorities out of concern for his ex-partner, whom he had not seen for over a year. He suggested that some calls might have been accidental. Lawton expressed worries about a friend’s well-being and indicated his frustration with the police for not listening to him.
Lawton, residing at The Sneyd Arms Hotel in Tunstall, pleaded guilty to persistently misusing the emergency services to cause inconvenience and anxiety to the public.
In his defense, Lawton’s lawyer, Sarah Bedford, highlighted Lawton’s mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Bedford explained that Lawton was undergoing a personal crisis at the time, exacerbated by alcohol dependence and the breakdown of his long-term relationship. Lawton’s intention was not malicious but driven by concerns for his ex-partner’s safety, leading him to seek help through the emergency services.
As part of his sentence, Lawton is required to complete a 15-day rehabilitation activity. Additionally, he was fined £80 and instructed to pay £85 in costs along with a £32 surcharge.
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