A DRUNK man sparked an emergency police response by dialling 999 and claiming he’d been stabbed.

Anthony Sives-Rutherford, 39, was handed a suspended prison term by a district judge who took a dim view of his criminal conduct on Botchergate, Carlisle.

Prosecutor Glen Anderton told North and West Cumbria Magistrates’ Court police received a 999 call at 12.30am on July 19.

“It was from a kiosk, a male saying he had been stabbed and was bleeding,” said Mr Anderton.

Three police vehicles and six officers were sent to investigate. There was no sign of any trouble, and pub door staff spoke of no such incident.

“It would appear nothing untoward had taken place,” said Mr Anderton.

Sives-Rutherford was arrested, and his description matched that of a male captured on CCTV making the call. When interviewed he admitted: “It was me but I have a personality disorder.”

He stated he was “not in control of himself” at the time of an incident which he insisted was “out of character”. He had “no idea” why he acted that way but confessed to having drank 10 pints of lager. He was “sorry” and described his behaviour as “ridiculous”.

Chris Toms, defending, said: “It was not a major disruption incident. It became rapidly clear there was no incident.”

Sives-Rutherford, of Henry Street, Whitehaven, admitted sending a false message to cause inconvenience. He reported “long-standing mental health difficulties” to a probation officer, who concluded substance abuse appeared to be linked to his offending but that constructive work could be done to help.

District Judge Gerald Chalk suspended a 48-day jail term for 12 months, and imposed a rehabilitation requirement and a six-week night-night curfew.

The district judge spoke of a “substantial” police deployment, observing: “It would have caused concern that so many people had to be out and about for what proved to be a malicious call.”