A Dungannon woman has been jailed for nine months for breaching a restraining order that prohibited her from contacting the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service except in genuine emergencies.

Denise Bradley, 44, of Park Avenue, pleaded guilty to breaching the restraining order and six counts of breaching probation. The offences took place between July 5 and July 6, when she made 12 calls to the ambulance service.

The court heard that a restraining order was already in place due to previous convictions for making hundreds of false calls to emergency services. The order allowed contact only for genuine, life-threatening situations, but none of the 12 calls made by Bradley were deemed genuine.

Bradley was arrested and, during police interview, maintained that the calls were real. She was also charged with breaching her probation order.

Her defence counsel said alcohol was a factor in her offending, and that since being remanded in custody she has abstained from alcohol and hopes to continue after release.

District Judge Francis Rafferty described Bradley as a scourge on the health service, citing packed hospitals and a strained ambulance service. He said she had previously wasted up to 22 hours of emergency services time.

Bradley was sentenced to seven months in custody, with the nine-month total including the probation breaches.