Costly false call to fire brigade

Press, 26 December 1984, Page 8

Costly false call to fire brigade

A malicious telephone call that a neighbour’s house across the road was on fire cost a man a fine of $lOO, and compensation of $302.58, in the District Court Court on Monday. Judge Frampton imposed the fine, and restitution for the brigade’s call-out, on John Frederick King, aged 29, a sickness beneficiary. The defendant admitted a charge of using a telephone to wilfully give a fictitious message of a fire at 42 Swanns Road, on December 16.

He changed his plea after having pleaded not guilty at an earlier appearance. Sergeant J. E. Dwyer said that an emergency call was made to the Fire Service at 2.20 a.m. on December 16 that a bathroom of a house at 42 Swanns Road was on fire.

Two fire engines were sent, but the call was found to be false. The telephone call was traced to 43 Swanns Road, where the defendant and another per-

son flatted. His flatmate was asleep, and the defendant denied to the police having made the call. A recorded conversation between the caller and fire brigade showed the caller’s voice to be similar to the defendant’s.

The defendant told the Judge, when asked if he had any explanation for the offence, that half of his punishment was having to sit in a police cell with no clothing from 3.30 a.m. until 9

a.m. “before they let me out.” INJURY CHARGE Two men appeared on a charge of injuring Grant Lamport on December 21 in circumstances, that, if death had resulted, they would have been guilty of manslaughter. The defendants were Kevin Victor Davis, aged 21, and Ronald Phillip Grieve, aged 32, both pastrycooks. Each was remanded on bail, without plea, to January 16.