A 58-year-old woman from Douglas has been given a 12-month conditional discharge after swearing drunkenly and lashing out at ambulance crew who were trying to help her.

Mandy Bollon, of Waverley Court, admitted drunk and disorderly behaviour, which arose on January 2 after she pulled on the emergency cord in her bathroom, prompting an ambulance and police to attend.

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said her subsequent behaviour was ’disgraceful’, adding: ’We hear on the news every day the difficulties the NHS service is experiencing.

’This is not assisted by you consuming alcohol and not taking medication.’

The court heard the ambulance crew found Bollon heavily intoxicated and incoherent on the bathroom floor. She was said to be shouting indecipherably and swearing.

She was looked after by ambulance staff and police stood down but had to be called back due to Bollon’s behaviour.

She was said to have escaped from the ambulance and had to be put back in while swearing at the ambulance crew.

They tried to secure her for her own safety but she continued lashing out and had to be restrained by police officers who had to stay in the ambulance.

After being released from hospital she was taken to police headquarters.

Prosecutor Barry Swain, explaining why police attended Bollon’s house with the ambulance crew, told the court that emergency services had been called to Bollon’s house 26 times in the last six months.

Mr Swain said: ’I say that not to prejudice her case but to assist her.

’Clearly alcohol appears to be a problem in this lady’s case.’

Defending Bollon in court advocate Stephen Wood said: ’We have no paperwork to support that number of callouts.

’Most of us don’t have emergency cords in our bathrooms. My client has one for good reason. She has a support network in place to try to assist her.

’Ms Bollon takes a pragmatic approach.

’She can’t remember the incident but accepts what ambulance staff and police say has occurred.’

Mr Wood continued: ’She is remorseful for the trouble they have been put to. She tells me she had not had a drink for four months. In the run up to New Year she allowed herself to drink.

’Some led to more which led to a lot.’

Mr Wood also said that Bollon had stopped taking her prescribed medication at the time of the incident.

Bollon was also banned from purchasing or being sold alcohol for six months and ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.