A bomb hoaxer who claimed he planted three explosive devices at a Bedminster pub cost police around £10,000. Michael Casey, 40, called Avon and Somerset Police from a local convenience store at around 12.40pm on Sunday, October 9, 2022, claiming he had left three pipe bombs at the Three Lions pub.
The hoax call prompted a large-scale emergency response to West Street, with local residents forced to evacuate their homes for several hours. As well as a 50m police cordon, around 60 police officers were deployed for several hours - costing just over £10,000.
Casey, of Kingdom View in Bedminster, was then found holding a makeshift bomb to his chest while on remand at HMP Horfield. The prison was put on lockdown as an Army explosives expert was called.
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He pleaded guilty to making a bomb hoax after incidents in October and November last year. Judge Martin Picton jailed him for 40 months at Bristol Crown Court today (June 2).
Officer in the case DC Jordan Pearce said: “The incident in Bedminster had a significant impact on people and businesses that day and caused a great deal of stress.
“It was appropriate we took the threat seriously and that is why people from the pub and nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution. It took a number of hours for thorough searches of the pub, its grounds and Michael Casey’s home address to be carried out before we could declare the area was safe. During that time, officers searching for him tracked him down and made an arrest.
“His reckless and foolish actions resulted in a significant amount of police time and resources being diverted to this incident and he had no thought for other people who may have been in need of our help at the same time.”
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