Telford knife hoax call girlfriend wins jail sentence cut
Saturday 14th May 2011, 5:06PM BST.
A 21-year-old Telford woman who played along with a hoax call to her boyfriend which claimed she was about to be killed by a knifeman has won a reduction in her jail sentence.
Nicola Bedford had been jailed for 12 weeks for her part in the hoax but her sentence was yesterday cut to 21 days at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
The court was told Bedford’s boyfriend, Ian Heaton, was told she was being held at knifepoint in her flat and would be killed if he did not come over.
Mr Heaton did not recognise the male caller.
Mr Kevin Jones, for the prosecution, said Bedford was put on the line to Mr Heaton on a couple of occasions, once telling him, “He has a knife to my throat”.
Mr Jones said the whole alleged drama in March this year turned out to have been made up by Gavin Brookes who had been the person who spoke to Mr Heaton.
The court heard Bedford played along with it.
Bedford, of Bembridge, had admitted at Telford magistrates last month a charge of making a malicious communication and was jailed for 12 weeks.
Brookes admitted an identical charge and was handed a 12-month community order and ordered to do 120 hours unpaid work.
Judge Mark Eades agreed yesterday there was a disparity between her jail term and the one handed to Brookes. Mrs Ann Matthews, for Bedford, said she went along with the call but all she wanted to do was for him to come to her flat as she still loved Mr Heaton.
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