False burglary report leads to £800 fine
A prankster who falsely reported a burglary at his flat has been given a suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay £800 for wasting police time.
Officers spent 20 hours dealing with Darren Wenlock's report, visiting his flat in Allen Road, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton on several occasions.
A forensic team even took swabs and fingerprints at the property, but it was not until the building's landlord called police to say Wenlock's report on June 1 had been false that the 42-year-old was arrested.
He pleaded guilty at Wolverhampton Magistrates' Court to a single charge of causing wasteful employment of police.
He told the court his report to police had been a prank between flatmates that got out of hand.
He added: "It was just stupidness, absolute stupidness.
"I was under the influence of alcohol and it was just a stupid thing to do."
District judge Graham Wilkinson said the fingerprints found at the flat could have led to wrongful arrests and innocent people spending 'hours and hours' in a police station.
He added: "You had ample opportunity (to come clean) because the police came out to your house multiple times.
"Police wasting time with you means they can't be dealing with real crimes.
"You wasted 20 hours. That's three police officers giving all of their shifts to you."
Wenlock received a four-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and was ordered to pay £800 costs and an £80 surcharge.
