Man's Booze Ban After 999 Nicki Minaj Call

A man has been banned from drinking alcohol
after dialling 999 and saying he was pop star
Nicki Minaj.

Steven Brown, 23, from Cairn Walk in Crumlin,
Co Antrim, made two calls in breach of a
previous ASBO banning him from using the
emergency number.
Belfast High Court heard a man first called at
10.15 am on Christmas Day claiming two men
were making threats to kill him but was too
intoxicated to provide further information.
Five minutes later, the same man rang 999
again and told operators he wanted to cancel
the first call, the prosecution said.
It was during this second call that the man
claimed to be the rapper Minaj and said there
was a poltergeist in his house.
When police arrested him, Brown did not deny
making the calls and told officers he felt there
really was an emergency when he dialled the
number.
The prosecution said he had recently been
released "after serving a sentence for offences
of a similar nature" and that he was an
alcoholic.
A defence barrister said Brown had just been
released from hospital, was taking medication
and had consumed alcohol, against the advice
of doctors.
The judge released Brown on his own bail of
£250, banned him from possessing and
consuming alcohol and from dialling 999,
except in an emergency.
Lord Justice Coghlin, who also imposed a
10pm-7am curfew, said: "This man is
essentially a nuisance, which no doubt is a
product of his alcoholism."