A MAN has narrowly avoided being jailed for making a hoax phone call in which he said a woman who accused him of assault had threatened him with a kitchen knife and forced him to hide in a bathroom.
Armed police went to the scene of the alleged knife attack before realising the call had been made up by Ryan Rouse, who later resisted arrest and had to be carried to a police vehicle by four officers.
Rouse (28) appeared in the Royal Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice and to resisting arrest.
Crown Advocate Paul Lee, prosecuting, said that the assault was alleged to have taken place after the two parties met in August of this year and that this matter was still under investigation.
The court heard that a few days later, Rouse had phoned 999 – the call had lasted 13 minutes, and he had reported being threatened with a 14-inch kitchen knife by the woman and needing to lock himself in a bathroom at her house.
“The call was a vindictive act, designed to intimidate and put pressure on [the woman],” Advocate Lee said.
The court heard that armed officers went to the woman’s address in St Helier, and that it was likely they may have knocked down the door and arrested the woman at gunpoint had she been present, but that in the event, the door had been open and there was no-one inside.
Advocate Lee said that after speaking to the woman and establishing that she had not been at home, making it certain the call was a hoax, officers had gone to Rouse’s address.
Officers were denied admission by a “clearly intoxicated” Rouse, who then refused to cooperate and had to be fitted with leg restraints before four officers carried him out of the property while he laughed and sang, the court was told.
Advocate Sarah Dale, defending, said Rouse was remorseful about what he had done and admitted to having a problem with alcohol which he was working to overcome. He had offers of work and wanted to carry on training as an apprentice, she added.
Lieutenant-Bailiff Anthony Olsen, presiding, told Rouse: “Perverting the course of justice is a very serious matter which strikes at the heart of the rule of law, and there’s an inescapable inference that your actions were intended to intimidate and incriminate a wholly innocent party.”
While he acknowledged that Rouse had several previous convictions, Mr Olsen said the court recognised that he had not previously had the benefit of supervision by probation officers.
“This offence would almost always bring a custodial sentence, but we are giving you a chance,” he said. “You must do everything you can to turn your life around.”
Rouse was sentenced to 210 hours’ community service and an 18-month probation order for the first offence, with an additional concurrent sentence of 45 hours community service for resisting arrest.
Jurats Averty and Le Cornu were sitting.
