Richard Bowles, 51, from Woodstock Road, Salisbury, has been sentenced after making 1,920 calls to 999 over a 30-month period, all requesting to speak to the ambulance service. These calls frequently involved abusive and sexually explicit language, resulting in significant distress for emergency service workers.
Bowles pleaded guilty to seven counts of sending indecent or grossly offensive electronic communications intended to cause distress or anxiety. In response, Salisbury Crown Court imposed a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order, barring him from contacting both emergency and non-emergency services and prohibiting inappropriate sexualized conduct.
In addition to the Criminal Behaviour Order, Bowles must complete an 18-month Community Order, 20 rehabilitative days with the Probation Service, 120 hours of unpaid work, and pay a statutory court surcharge. Any breach of this order could result in a custodial sentence.
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Between December 2022 and July 2025, Bowles’s relentless abuse cost emergency services an estimated £186,000. PC Hannah Cranham emphasized the unacceptable nature of Bowles’s behaviour, highlighting that emergency workers dedicate their efforts to helping the public, not enduring harassment for someone’s personal gratification.
Mike Jones, Crime & Violence Reduction Manager for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, echoed these sentiments, stressing the severe personal and financial impact of Bowles’s actions on frontline staff. He praised Wiltshire Police for their thorough investigation and reaffirmed a strong commitment to protecting emergency service workers from abuse and ensuring public resources are directed towards patient care.