A drunk woman who breached an order by making a 999 call from her home without an emergency has been fined in court.

Magistrates in Ipswich heard how Anne-Marie Coppin, 61, of Ash Drive, Eye, dialled 999 from her home at 7.15pm on Thursday, March 19 this year.

When the call was answered, the police call handler heard Coppin screaming down the phone before hanging up, David Bryant, prosecuting, told the court.

Police were able to trace the number and when officers attended Coppin’s address, they found her in an upstairs bedroom, the court heard.

Coppin was “highly intoxicated” and was slurring her words, Mr Bryant said.

“She was asked if there was a good reason for the call, but could not provide one,” Mr Bryant added.

Offiicers discovered the call put Coppin in breach of a community protection notice issued in September last year which banned her from dialling 999 when there was not an emergency.

The community protection notice was imposed following previous similar incidents of Coppin contacting the police without good reason, the court heard.

A community protection notice can be issued against a perpetrator of persistent anti-social behaviour.

Coppin was then taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning, the court heard.

In police interview, she told officers she did not recall the incident and classed herself as an eight out of ten on a scale of drunkeness.

She said she was aware of the community protection notice, fully regretted her actions and apologised.

Appearing at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court on Friday, Coppin pleaded guilty to breaching the community protection notice by failing to comply with the order.

Coppin, who was not represented in court, told magistrates that she had experienced a lot of “outside stress”.

But she said she took full responsibility for making the telephone call.

Coppin was told by magistrates that wasting police time was a “serious matter”.

She was fined £150, and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £32.