Christy Burke's appeal came after a judge handed down a three and a half year sentence to 31-year-old Rachel Stafford, who had made a series of hoax calls to his elderly mother, Mary. Mrs Burke has since died.

"My mother received up to 60 or 70 calls for more than two years from this woman and the situation got so bad that my mother told me she was happier to be in hospital where no one could get her, " the Sinn Fein councillor told the Sunday Tribune.

"The gardai would get calls saying that my mother was dead in the bathroom and then they would arrive banging at the door."

When Burke realised what was happening to his 80-yearold mother he started to log the calls and work closely with the gardai to catch the prank caller.

"It was so bad that I had to arrange to ring my mother twice and then hang up so she would know it was me calling. My mother worked hard all her life and it was terrible to see her so afraid in her old age. She was absolutely terrified and her health seriously deteriorated during that time and she even lost the will to live.

"I have to compliment the gardai for the way they worked to catch the hoax caller. Sgt Joe O'Flaherty in Fitzgibbon Street station worked beyond the call of duty to check that my mother was okay.

"The only problem I had with the investigation was the length of time it took eircom to release their phone records to the gardai. Minister McDowell should review the legislation to compel eircom to co-operate more in order to fast track catching these hoax callers."

The Burke family now hope that her sentence will act as a deterrent to other hoax callers.

Figures obtained last week by the Sunday Tribune show that 3,651 hoax 999 calls were made to the gardai in 2004 and 3,257 calls last year.