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AN Omagh man who persistently called emergency number 101 ‘like it was a taxi service’ has been sentenced to 150 hours of community service.
Tony Cahall (44), of Woodside, appeared before Enniskillen Magistrates Court, to face a number of charges of persistent improper use of electronic communications.
The court heard that between January 7, 2024 and April 27, 2025, Cahall had made a number of persistent calls to police on the emergency number 101.
In a detailed report to the court, the Public Prosecution Service said that Cahall appeared to be ‘intoxicated’ when he was making the calls, where he was also said to be ‘verbally abusive’ to several police officers.
The court heard that, on one day in December 2024, Cahall made nine calls to the police.
On other occasions, he contacted the police to request a lift home to his residence after spending time in the SWAH, while he also phoned them regarding the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.
The court also heard that Cahall contacted the police when he refused to leave the Emergency Department at the SWAH, playing ‘sectarian music’ during the subsequent call.
Cahall’s defence counsel said that he had a ‘difficult upbringing’ and he had a ‘serious alcohol addiction’.
They also admitted that there was ‘no excuse for the calls.
District Judge, Alana McSorley, said that Cahall used the 101 number ‘like it was a taxi service’. She also recognised that Cahall has lived through a ‘fair share of hardship’.
After reviewing the facts of the case, she sentenced him to 150 hours of community service.
