A POLICE time-waster who cost the tax-payer thousands of pounds dropped his appeal against sentence as it was being heard in court - wasting even more time and money.

Gilf Lawrence Hewitson, 42, of Tudor Road Acomb, York, was jailed for 14 days by York Magistrates' Court in November after he admitted making a telephone call to the police anonymously and, referring to himself in the third person, claiming he was going to shoot another man.

But he was bailed immediately as his counsel told magistrates that he wanted to appeal against the sentence, but that it would take longer than two weeks for the appeal to be heard.

He then appeared at York Crown Court earlier last month, but the bench decided they needed a pre-sentence report before it could proceed with the appeal.

At York Crown Court yesterday, Judge Geoffrey Marson QC was told because of the call, 13 police officers were deployed for five-and-a-half hours to search for Hewitson while the alleged target was taken into protective custody.

Hewitson later surrendered to the police, but despite being interviewed three times, maintained he had not made the telephone call.

It was only after a forensic examination of the phone call was made that Hewitson admitted responsibility.

Susan Kerr, representing the Crown Prosecution Service, said the police operation had cost £1,550 while the forensic examination cost £1,700.

Hewitson's previous convictions included kidnap, drugs offences, burglary and robbery with his last prison sentence served in 2002.

But when Mrs Kerr had finished her address, Hewitson called his counsel, Martin Hawes, over and told him he wanted to withdraw the appeal and accept the sentence handed down by magistrates.

Mr Hawes asked for leave to drop the appeal and Judge Marson, sitting with two magistrates, agreed, but the judge hinted at the possibility that if it had gone ahead, the appeal could have resulted in an increase in the prison sentence.

He said: "We give him leave to withdraw his appeal, but we do regard this as a very lenient sentence."