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Fife loner phoned 999 to tell police his hamster was stuck under floorboards

Ian Rodger made a series of nuisance calls to the emergency line.

Ian Rodger called 999 to report his hamster was under the floorboards.
Ian Rodger called 999 to report his hamster was under the floorboards.

A Fife pest phoned 999 to tell police his hamster was running about and getting stuck under floorboards.

Ian Rodger, 61, also claimed he had left on a pan full of oil during the repeated calls from his home in Dundonald Park, Cardenden.

His persistent nuisance calls came over two days this year, between May 6 and 8.

At Dunfermline Sheriff Court, Rodger pled guilty to persistently making use of the emergency network by repeatedly making 999 calls about non-police matters “such as your hamster running about and being stuck under floorboards and that you had left a pan containing oil on”.

Court papers state it was for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to the call handler.

The charge also states Rodger repeatedly swore at the call handler.

Sheriff Charles Macnair adjourned sentencing until January 3, when Rodger is also due to be sentenced on two other matters previously reported by The Courier.

Ian Rodger
Ian Rodger.

In January this year he asked two 13-year-old boys outside a Tesco in Station Road, Cardenden, if they wanted a threesome.

About four months earlier, he had accosted a 17-year-old boy in the same street, asking if he wanted to come home with him.

At the court hearing in mid-November, Rodger admitted directing sexual verbal communication to the two 13-year-olds by making sexual remarks towards them and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by making alarming comments containing sexual innuendo to the 17-year-old.

His defence agent at the last court hearing, Martin McGuire, said Rodger had been drinking both the night before and morning of the offence concerning the 17-year-old boy.

Rodger made is indecent proposal at the Tesco in Cardenden.

The solicitor said Rodger was also heavily intoxicated on the day he made comments to the 13-year-olds, who he thought were mocking him because of his inebriation.

He said Rodger is someone who lives a solitary life and if he was able to address the factors which lead to consuming alcohol at a “devastating volume” then the risk posed to the public at large would be greatly reduced.

Sheriff Macnair has also previously highlighted Rodger’s “dreadful record”.

Consideration of a Crown motion for a sexual harm prevention order was on the last occasion continued to the January 3 hearing.

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