Seth Reaney sentenced in Yeppoon court for abusive Triple-0 calls

A Central Queensland man who repeatedly called Triple-0 for non-emergencies and hurled abuse at line operators, has been sentenced.

Seth Morpheus Reaney, 24, faced Yeppoon court for making 11 vexatious phone calls to Triple-0. Generic image.

In just over four hours, Seth Morpheus Reaney made 11 Triple-0 phone calls, none of which were for emergencies.

The details of the emergency calls were read out in Yeppoon Magistrates Court and accepted by Reaney who pleaded guilty to making vexatious calls and obstructing police.

During his first call at 8.28pm on September 11, last year, the operator could not make any sense of what Reaney, 24, was saying.

However, the operator did manage to establish that Reaney had previously called community-based organisation Roseberry about it “not doing anything” in relation to an issue he had with his Yeppoon unit accommodation.

The Triple-0 operator then asked Reaney why he was calling the police and Reaney started screaming and swearing at the operator who subsequently ended the call.

But Reaney called back at 9.14pm.

He told the Triple-0 operator that everything in his unit was damaged, and it was the police’s fault that it happened.

When the operator started asking questions, Reaney, who sounded intoxicated, abused them, did not answer and had a “mental episode”.

Reaney called again at 9.20pm and when asked for his name, he swore at the operator and also abused them.

Police went to Reaney’s William Street unit and when they arrived, he was standing in the driveway.

After seeing police, he retreated back into his unit.

At 9.22pm, Reaney was back on the phone to Triple-0.

He started yelling something about his neighbours calling the police on him, so he was “calling the police on them”.

Reaney then called the Triple-0 operator “all sorts of names”.

He was warned to stop the abuse but he just continued and the call was terminated by the operator.

Reaney kept phoning Triple-0 with his last call made at 12.50am.

An operator takes a Triple-0 call. Generic image.

At 9.25am, police went to speak with Reaney at his unit about his behaviour throughout the night.

Police tried to negotiate with him, but he refused to open the front door.

Officers then told him that he was under arrest.

Reaney still wouldn’t open the door and he screamed at police.

A few minutes passed before Reaney eventually opened the door.

As police were trying to arrest him, he thrashed about and had to be restrained on the ground and handcuffed, before being taken into custody.

Solicitor Grant Cagney said Reaney had been diagnosed with autism and he was going through the process of obtaining NDIS funding.

Mr Cagney also tendered documentation which detailed Reaney’s condition and explained that he “had difficulty regulating his emotions which results in verbal outbursts.”

“Mr Reaney is someone who, when he becomes stressed with a situation, he struggles to manage that situation as a normal person might do,” Mr Cagney said.

The solicitor said Reaney had also experienced “some difficulties” with his next-door neighbour as evidenced by one of the calls to Triple-0.

Magistrate Cameron Press noted Reaney had a limited criminal history, but he also warned him that he could not afford to go down this path again.

“I also note that you have commenced self-medication, taking yourself off anti-depressant and somewhat anti-anxiety medication,” Mr Press said.

“But also drinking (alcohol) to excess which no doubt did not assist.

“You can go to jail for making vexatious or abusive calls... and as your solicitor submitted to me, you acknowledge that your actions in doing so could have affected other people.”

Mr Press fined Reaney $800 and placed him on an 18-month good behaviour order with a $1000 recognisance.

Originally published as Seth Reaney sentenced in Yeppoon court for abusive Triple-0 calls