Greenock man sentenced for false suicide calls to NHS

William Duff, 66, admitted repeatedly contacting NHS services and claiming he was suicidal when there was no genuine emergency.

Greenock Sheriff Court previously heard Duff phoned accident and emergency staff at Inverclyde Royal Hospital on August 3 and said: “I’m going to kill myself tonight.”

(Image: Newsquest)

But when police attended his home in Armadale Court, Greenock, he initially refused to let officers into the property before telling them he was not suicidal.

Duff also admitted assaulting, obstructing or hindering a male police constable during the incident.

Just over two weeks later, on August 18, Duff again contacted emergency services, with police attending his home the following day.

Officers noted that Duff was subject to an undertaking not to contact emergency services unless there was a genuine emergency.

Defence solicitor Lauryn Fulton told the court Duff “accepted full responsibility” for his offending.

She said: “He shows an understanding of the impact of his actions.

“Emergency services are there to respond to genuine emergencies and calls like these waste their time.

“There is concern in the social work report in relation to social isolation, poor mental health and misuse of alcohol, and he requires support.”

Sheriff Anthony McGeehan told Duff: “These charges are serious because of their impact on emergency services.

“Emergency services are finite.

“You diverted limited resources to a situation that was not truly an emergency.

“It not only wasted their time but prevented them from being able to respond to true emergencies.

“In the report, you have denied some of the potential contributing factors.”

Sheriff McGeehan sentenced Duff to a community payback order.

He will be supervised by social work for 12 months and must wear an electronic tag for nine weeks.