Published: Tuesday, 22nd April, 2008 15:30
ARMED POLICE CALLED TO HOAX
By Court Reporter
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TWO Armed Response Units were called out to a house after claims that an armed raider was threatening the occupants.
The frightening scenes took place at Braehead, in Bonhill, when cops surrounded the house so that officers could go and apprehend the gunman who was allegedly demanding money.
But when the cops got into the property they discovered that the whole charade was a hoax by a drunken man inside the house, Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard on Thursday.
Martin Weldon made the false call after having a fight with the other person in the house because he though it was a “good idea”.
Scott Simpson, fiscal depute, told the court: “It seems that during that evening there was an altercation between the accused and the householder and the accused then decided it would be a good idea to make this false 999 call.
“He claimed that a man had entered the premises with a double barrelled shotgun and started asking them for money.
“The response to the locus was swift and included two Armed Response Vehicles as well as police surrounding the locus.”
The 21-year-old claims to have no memory of the event because of the amount of alcohol he had drunk.
Roddy Boag, defending, said: “This is a crazy situation and it’s at the top end of wasting police time.
“Regrettably there was no proper explanation given to the reasons behind the call."
Weldon pled guilty to wasting police time by phoning the emergency services with a false claim on December 23 2006.
Weldon, of 158 Redburn, Bonhill, was ordered to carry out 240 hours community service.
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