Andrea Wally guilty for calling police over false claims of fireworks being set off in yard

A woman has been fined for calling the police and falsely claiming fireworks had set off in her yard causing police and emergency services to be deployed to her property.

Andrea Wally appeared before the Karratha Magistrates Court on September 20 and pleaded guilty to creating false belief under section 171(2) of the Criminal Code.

The court heard on April 20 about 1.30pm in Wickham, Wally called triple-0 claiming people fireworks had been set off in her backyard and had lit a fire.

She then called police 10 minutes later and claimed people were throwing eggs at her house.

Police and Wickham firefighters attended the property and found there were no fire and eggs and no sign of any offenders.

The police prosecutor told the court Wally admitted she had been drinking all day.

They said because of the calls, Wickham Fire and Emergency services had driven to her property under emergency conditions with lights and sirens on.

Wally’s lawyer told the court she lives in Wickham and cared for her grandson in Roebourne.

“She is pleading out of convenience, she was intoxicated but had a genuine belief there was a fire,” the lawyer said.

Wally told Magistrate Sarah Oliver she saw the fire with her own eyes.

“It was a real fire, it had died down when they arrived,” she said.

She told Ms Oliver that she had been drinking to celebrate her mum’s birthday.

Ms Oliver fined Wally $800 suspended for six months.

She gave Wally a 20 per cent discount for a relatively early plea.

“You had been drinking but believed someone had lit a fire,” she said.