Shropshire Star

Alcoholic ex-teacher jailed for 999 harassment and paramedic attack

Two paramedics said they would never go to Kevin Byrne's address again.

Published
Kevin Byrne abused several paramedics and made numerous abusive calls

A former teacher who bombarded the emergency services with nuisance calls and assaulted a paramedic has been sent back to jail.

Kevin Byrne, 57, had been jailed last year and was served with a criminal behaviour order not to harass the police force and ambulance service.

However when Byrne - who described himself in court as an alcoholic - was released from prison, he again continued to make numerous calls to the emergency services and at one point assaulted a paramedic and a hospital security guard.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court he was sentenced to 12 months in prison after previously admitting two counts of breaching his order, and four counts of assault.

Judge Anthony Lowe said: “You understand the problem you have and you need to dig deep and deal with the alcohol and come out of prison and not go back.”

50 nuisance calls

Prosecutor Kevin Jones explained Byrne, of Sandford Avenue in Church Stretton, had previously committed offences where he had made over 50 nuisance calls to the emergency services.

In September, Byrne breached his criminal behaviour order on the day he was released from prison when he called the ambulance service and was abusive to the call handler.

Paramedics attended his address but he continued to swear at them and made sexual comments to a female paramedic.

The pair feared violence would be used against them and they both said they would never attend that address again.

After being arrested, he was bailed and while on bail he committed further similar offences.

In October, he made six phone calls to the ambulance service and the police force.

Assault claim

In the calls he claimed he had been assaulted by a police officer and had been threatened by police officers, which were claims found to be false.

Paramedics were again called to his address, where Byrne was unsteady on his feet and had alcohol all around him.

He said he wanted to fight the male paramedic in attendance, and when he was taken to the ambulance the paramedic restrained Byrne after he lashed out.

He was again abusive when taken to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, where he threatened the security officer and bent his thumb back causing soft tissue damage.

Mr Byrne said: “I am guilty of everything, I am sorry and what I have done is unacceptable."

He said he spent thousands on alcohol in 11 months and made an attempt on his own life.

Since being in custody, Byrne told the judge he had been working in the library at HMP Hewell, and had been teaching other inmates to read.

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