A CONVICTED church arsonist from Wheddon Cross was back before a judge this week for making hoax calls to the emergency services – six weeks after a carbon copy offence.

Grace Coles, 36, of The Firs, appeared before Taunton Crown Court for making nuisance calls to the police operator.

The court heard the prolific offender, who was making her 24th court appearance, made three silent calls within one hour on April 13.

Just six weeks earlier, Coles was jailed for 21 days for making six nuisance calls to the police communications department.

In the latest case, Coles initially denied making the calls but changed her plea to guilty during a preliminary hearing at Taunton Deane Magistrates’ Court on May 10.

The case was committed to Taunton Crown Court because the incident put her in breach of a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for setting fire to St John the Evangelist Church in Cutcombe.

Coles caused about £120,000 of damage when she set fire to hymn books and paperwork inside the church last August.

She had only been out of jail two weeks for setting fire to the church three months earlier when the incident happened. In that attack she again used hymn books and paper to start a blaze.

Harry Ahuja, defending Coles, said his client was receiving specialist medical help and was beginning to show signs of improvement. He said she was taking her medication and appeared to be getting better.

In summary, Judge Graham Hume Jones said: “Everyone is very sympathetic and everyone understands you have got quite considerable problems. Everyone has been trying to help you.

“But in the past you have not co-operated with that help. You must understand the more offences you commit, the longer sentence you will get.”

Mr Hume Jones deferred sentencing for six months so he could see if her recent improvements continue but warned: “If you have not improved, you will be jailed for 18 months.”