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Dad's fury at 'ludicrous' hoax 999 call sentence
THE heartbroken partner of a Sheffield woman killed when her car collided with a fire engine attending a hoax 999 call has slammed the "ludicrous" sentence received by the bogus caller.
Ian Paterson, aged 17, walked free from court with a 12 month referral order and an ASBO for making the false call which ended in the death of mum-of-two Nicola Stacey.
The 36-year-old's 10-year-old daughter Lauren Stacey, a passenger in her mum's car, was seriously injured in the crash.
Paterson, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Doncaster Youth Court yesterday - the same day as Nicola's funeral.
Barry Stevens, Nicola's partner of 16 years, said: "The sentence is ludicrous, I am absolutely livid.
"We expected him to at least get a few months, regardless of his age. But instead he got a an ASBO - I have got a daughter on a high dependency unit and have just had to bury my girlfriend."
Barry, aged 36, of Valentine Crescent, Shiregreen, is dad to Lauren and her older sister Rebecca, 14.
He said: "The whole family is disgusted. You hear politicians calling for changes to the law but those changes are too late for us.
"Why does it take something like this to happen before the law gets looked at?
"As a family we know the police have done everything they can and they have been great but the law itself stinks."
Passing sentence at Doncaster Youth Court, District Judge John Foster admitted he was "astonished" at the limited powers he had to deal with Paterson.
Had the teenager been just two months older, he could have been sent to prison - but only for three months.
Today Sheffield MP Richard Caborn called on Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to review the case.
The Sheffield Central MP described the sentence as an example of "the punishment not fitting the crime".
He said: "It seems the magistrates didn't have the powers to impose a custodial sentence and I shall be writing to the Home Secretary asking her to review this case."
Sentencing Paterson the judge told him: "What has astonished me is that the powers I have are so limited. You deserve to lose your liberty for a significant period of time.
"Parliament has decreed that if you were 18 you could have gone to prison - but only for a maximum of three months."
He added: "As a result of your action someone lost their life and a young child was very seriously hurt.
"You should know that when you call the emergency services and they are responding to that call lives may be put at risk."
The court heard that Paterson, of no fixed abode, made three hoax calls on June 24, 26 and June 29 – the latter ending in Nicola's death.
Police had traced the calls to a mobile phone being used by homeless Paterson, who was sleeping rough in a car.
Paterson had claimed to have passed a warehouse fire in Sheffield Road, Rotherham and fire engines were dispatched from Rotherham and Darnall.
The fatal collision with the Darnall appliance happened at the junction of Attercliffe Common and Weedon Street, near Meadowhall.
The Rotherham appliance arrived to find no fire.
The court heard the fire service call handler had initially been suspicious but the teenager said his grandmother had died as a result of a hoax call.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service area manager Mark Shaw said: "The number of hoax 999 calls we receive has reduced by 26 per cent over the last two years.
"But, on average, we still receive around two hoax calls every day.
"They make it harder to deal with real emergencies and can put lives in danger.
"We are disappointed that a custodial sentence was not available in these circumstances."
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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