Hoax call woman in hospital

A woman who was questioned in connection with a series of telephone calls that sparked a major search for a non-existent baby was in a serious condition in hospital tonight.

The 33-year-old mother of seven was found in a car near a lake in Co Westmeath hours after she was released from garda custody.

It is believed she may have attempted to commit suicide.

The single woman was held after officers established that calls received earlier this week, reporting that a newborn baby had been abandoned by the infant’s teenage mother in a disused flat in Dublin, were not genuine.

The calls to a helpline and gardaí were made over three days and were initially taken seriously by gardaí, with dozens of officers involved in search operations.

Subsequently it was confirmed that the calls had been bogus.

The woman arrested last night in Mulligar and was released without charge in the early hours of the morning, while the Director of Public Prosecutions decided whether or not she should be charged.

She was reported missing at around 10am today and an immediate search began.

A Garda spokesman said she was found in a Renault car close to Lough Ennell, near Mulligar.

He said it was believed she may have attempted to commit suicide.

The woman was tonight being treated at hospital in Mulligar, where she was in a serious condition.