Serial hoaxer claimed he was raped by a whale

A prankster claimed he had been raped by a whale and gave his name as Ben Dover during one of many hoax 999 calls. Serial time-waster Daniel Hammond made nuisance calls for eight months, telling busy emergency operators he lived in Doctor Who's Tardis in Suck My **** Lane in Swanley, Kent.

On one occasion he reported his manhood had fallen off because he had smoked too much weed and was struggling to have sex. Another time the 21-year-old impersonated Saddam Hussein and claimed he had hidden a bomb on a train, magistrates in Sevenoaks, Kent, heard yesterday.

When quizzed about his threats he shouted abuse down the phone and called them "w*****s". Prosecutor James Nichols said Hammond got off on wasting the emergency services' time with his bizarre and persistent tales. He said: "The defendant's calls started with claims he'd been raped by a whale but became more threatening as the months went by, and during the last call he told an operator he'd planted a bomb on a commuter train."



Magistrates heard the prankster was caught when he dialled 999 to report threats he claimed he was receiving, and police recognised his mobile phone number. When Hammond was finally arrested he said he "couldn't remember" all of the disturbing details of the calls but admitted the offences.

Laura Hollingham, defending, said her client's behaviour was a result of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The court also heard he was suffering from depression and that his family were "struggling" to cope with his "many problems".

Hammond, who held his head in his hands throughout the hearing, admitted making several hoax calls between August 4 last year and March 3 this year. Magistrates ordered a pre-sentence report and sentencing was set for May 4.