A man who repeatedly dialled 999 and wasted police time told one call handler he had killed a woman called Rachel and was digging a hole for her body.

James Tevlin called police on 14 occasions over a three-day period in March.

The 61-year-old also threatened to put a rope around the neck of an officer he had taken a dislike to during another call.

He was later charged with three counts of making calls which were either grossly offensive or false for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety.

The resident of Balmoral Road, Gillingham, had initially pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing but changed his plea to guilty when he appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court last week.

He had been arrested on a court warrant for failing to show up for an earlier appearance in relation to the charges.

But his solicitor, Wayne Crowhurst, told the court Tevlin had been jailed for 80 days not so long ago for a criminal damage offence and thought the nuisance calls charges had been dealt with when he was jailed for that.

Magistrates accepted the explanation and a charge of failing to show up at court was dropped during the hearing.

James Nichols, prosecuting, told the court Tevlin had made a number of calls during the three days, but had only been charged with the three offences.

Mr Nichols said: “During one 999 call he said he had killed a girl call Rachel and he was covered in blood and was digging a hole.”

Inquiries carried out by police found this claim was totally false.

Mr Nichols said: “On another call he asked if it was acceptable to have sex with his niece and the last charge relates to him taking a dislike to an officer who he’d had contact with. He said he would put a rope around his neck.”

Mr Crowhurst said: “He’s not very well, but has been helping out with homeless people in Medway and had been trying to show them where he went wrong in his life.”

Magistrates placed Tevlin on a two-year conditional discharge.