Man jailed over prostitute claims

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/suffolk/6517877.stm

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A 44-year-old man from Suffolk who boasted he knew the women found murdered near Ipswich last year was jailed for three months on Monday.

Andrew Purdy, who lives at Holbrook and claims to be a property developer, had admitted at Ipswich Magistrates' Court on 14 March he had wasted police time.

The court heard he had contacted police with false claims 27 times in December last year and January this year.

District Judge David Cooper said: "To my mind you are a sad and stupid man."

It is necessary to provide a deterrent so others don't waste more police time, so a prison term is unavoidable District Judge David Cooper

He was described in court as a fantasist who had cost police investigators precious time by diverting their attention.

Judge Cooper said: "What you did was morally wrong. Your fantasising has wasted thousands of pounds."

On 19 December Purdy told officers he had received a call on his mobile saying "we know you're a suspect, we will fire bomb your home".

The following day he said he received a text message from a withheld number threatening his life but claimed it had been deleted automatically from his phone.

Later that month, he told officers that two men had come to his home threatening to fire bomb it and he gave a description of the pair.

No calls made

Suffolk Police took action on the claims, installing a panic alarm in his home and twice paying for him to stay in a hotel costing £181. But they became suspicious and began investigating his mobile phone records.

The court heard, that when presented with the evidence he admitted no calls had ever been received and told officers he was lonely and had issues with a lady.

He did say he was sorry but the officers said he did not show any remorse.

Judge Cooper said on Monday he was the "kind of fantasist who gained satisfaction and importance by pretending to be a significant witness" in a high profile case.

He added: "That led to officers being diverted from proper duties. It is necessary to provide a deterrent so others don't waste more police time, so a prison term is unavoidable."