Police armed response unit tasked following knife report

Padraigin Taylor (23), formerly of High Street in the town, committed a wave of offences over several months, Ballymena Magistrates Court heard.

A prosecutor said at 1.10am on June 9 this year the defendant phoned 999 and claimed she had been “threatened by an unknown female who threatened to slice her throat”. Taylor then told a call handler she was going to “slice her own throat” and ended the call.

The court heard that because there was an indication of someone in the property “with a knife to her throat,” a police armed response unit and a police dog attended High Street. When police were able to speak to Taylor she said nobody had threatened her and she was not planning on harming herself and was cautioned for wasting police time with a false report.

Meanwhile, on April 1 last year the defendant bombarded the 999 emergency system with 14 calls despite being warned not to do so.

The prosecutor said Taylor had been “highly intoxicated” and had reported a “theft” to police.

The defendant was told she would have to make a formal statement but instead she demanded that officers acted immediately. She then continuously called 999 to report the matter and was told to either use the non-emergency 101 number or attend a police station.

In another case, the defendant was found with cannabis at High Street on July 23 this year following an “indication of an overdose”.

Also on July 23 this year the defendant was found with 30 Diazepam tablets in her bedroom.On August 1 this year following “another disturbance at High Street” the defendant was caught with cannabis and when arrested she kicked a female officer in the groin but there were “no lasting injuries”.The court was also told that around 9.30pm on August 4 this year police responded to a report of “fights” involving residents at High Street.

Taylor was shouting and swearing loudly in the street. On September 28 this year Taylor threw a “metal post box,” narrowly missing a male’s face, and she was then found with cannabis.

Defence barrister Thomas McKeever said the defendant has now moved out of High Street which he said “may be of some relief to the court”. He said the defendant had previously been given Probation and Community Service for previous offences and her interactions with the Court Orders were “going well”.

District Judge Nigel Broderick adjourned the cases to December to get an updated Probation report and he warned Taylor that if she failed to engage with Probation or re-offends there was a “strong possibility” she would be jailed.