A woman pestered police with hoax 999 calls within days of being banned from contacting the emergency services unless in genuine need.

Over the course of a month, Sarah Heffernan , of Folkestone, reported incidents of suicide, violence or threats.

These included making out her ex-partner had assaulted her, leaving her with broken fingers and a perforated eardrum, and was in her home or standing outside with his dog.

The 48-year-old also claimed to have been cut so badly with a knife that she had been bleeding for three days, leaving blood on her walls and kitchen floor.

But officers dispatched to her address on that occasion merely found her with a bandaged finger which was stained with dried blood.

Even when police had searched her home and discovered her former boyfriend was not upstairs as alleged, Heffernan maintained he was still in the property.

Canterbury Crown Court heard there was also doubt the man she repeatedly complained about and named as 'Mo' actually existed and could in fact be a product of her "fragile" mental health.

Until last year, Heffernan, of Black Bull Road, had led what was described by a judge as an "exemplary and valuable" life involving study, employment and volunteer work with the homeless and drug addicts.

But personal trauma and her own alcohol abuse resulted in a downward spiral which has seen her notching up five convictions for 14 offences.

These include making persistent "annoyance" calls, and on May 23 this year she was handed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) by Folkestone magistrates.

This prohibited her from dialling 999 and requesting services unless she was involved in a genuine emergency that risked "immediate death or harm".

However, just three days later she twice phoned police, first claiming a friend was suicidal and then that she had been previously assaulted.

"She reported she had been cut with a knife, she had been bleeding out for three days, there was blood on her walls and kitchen floor and had been kicked in the kneecaps," said prosecutor Shanda McAteer.

"Police attended and found she had a small bandage on her finger which wasn't actively bleeding and the blood was brown and a couple of days old."

Checks on the 'suicidal' friend also revealed no welfare concerns, the court was told.

Heffernan was arrested and gave a 'No comment' interview before being released on bail.

But, undeterred, she dialled 999 a further seven times over four days in June this year, this time reporting that 'Mo' had either physically harmed her or was threatening to do so.

Police attended her home on each occasion but other than finding an intoxicated Heffernan, there was no evidence of his presence or of any injuries.

She claimed however that she had rang them in a genuine emergency and, on one of their visits, her ex-boyfriend must have left before officers arrived, added the prosecutor.

Heffernan later admitted five breaches of her CBO, committed between May 26 and June 27.

At a sentencing hearing on Wednesday (September 4), Genevieve Reed, defending, described the offending as "terribly sad", considering Heffernan had "studied hard, worked hard and cared for people in the community" previously.

She told the court that her client had "at times" believed she was contacting police in "genuine need", and had not wanted to cause trouble.

But Ms Reed added that having "turned to alcohol to self-medicate" her own issues, Heffernan would benefit from probation service support rather than a further spell behind bars after serving the equivalent of a four-month jail term on remand.

"She needs intervention to assist with rehabilitation, and custody is not an appropriate place for someone with her vulnerabilities," said the lawyer.

"What is clear is that she is not someone who is malicious or going out of her way to cause trouble. She is plagued by past trauma, alcohol use and issues which have arisen from past relationships.

"The support of her mother and her own determination to address her underlying issues will ensure she doesn't reoffend and will put her back to where she was prior to 2023."

Passing sentence, Judge Alison Russell said that having taken Heffernan's mental health, personal circumstances and time served into account, she could be afforded "one last chance" to address her behaviour.

But, on expressing her hope that the imposition of a 12-month community order with 30 rehabilitation activity requirements would be "a turning point" in her life, the judge highlighted the serious impact such calls have on those in real need of police help.

"There is, of course, in a case such as this no victim personal statement but that doesn't mean harm has not been caused," she told Heffernan.

"There is very real harm to society in times when there is significant pressure on the emergency services.

"The cost of attending your property on calls which did not require police intervention is one factor.

"But you may also wish to reflect upon the very real risk that there were individuals with genuine emergencies who were not able to gain the required support and assistance of police because they were required to attend your home for fictitious injuries or offences.

"I accept you are vulnerable and the root of your offending appears to be your misuse of alcohol.

"Your counsel says you are self-medicating. Alcohol is not a medicine. It exacerbates your position, your mental health problems, and is clearly part of the reason for your spontaneous or impulsive behaviour in dialling 999.

"You have put yourself in a difficult position and if you continue on your path of misusing alcohol, you will be before this court again and again and again.

"It is in your own best interests and those of society that you demonstrate a very real intention to deal with the underlying reasons for your offending and I am satisfied there is a real prospect you can do this.

"On your release from prison you have one last chance to address your behaviour. I genuinely hope this is a turning point for you and I wish you well."