Sentence sought for woman who repeatedly called 110 to insult police

Taipei, Nov. 20 (CNA) Prosecutors have requested a summary judgment against a Kaohsiung woman who repeatedly called the 110 emergency number in the middle of the night to insult police officers earlier this year.

According to a court filing by the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office, the 57-year-old woman, surnamed Lin (林), made a total of nine calls to police using the 110 emergency hotline after 2 a.m. on Aug. 6.

Upon making her first call, Lin said she wanted to file a police report. When asked for details, however, she asked the officer on duty if he had "forgotten to bring his brain to work," the court filing said.

The officer then played Lin a recording informing her that calling 110 without justification and ignoring subsequent warnings could be punishable as a crime against public order, at which point she hung up, the filing said.

Soon after, however, Lin made several calls back to the emergency hotline, in which she swore at the officers on duty and referred to them as "animals" and "garbage."

In total, Lin made nine calls to the number between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., prompting officers from the Kaohsiung Police Department's Sinsing Precinct to arrest her on suspicion of obstructing an officer in the execution of their duties.

Following an investigation, prosecutors concluded that Lin's actions had violated Article 140 of the Criminal Code and requested that the Kaohsiung District Court issue a summary judgment -- a judgment without a full trial -- against her, since the facts of the case were not in dispute.

Under the Criminal Code, obstructing a public official in the execution of the duties is punishable by a prison sentence of up to one year or a maximum fine of NT$100,000 (US$3,080).