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Bedminster bomb hoaxer jailed
A Bedminster man whose bomb hoax caused a pub and nearby houses to be evacuated has been jailed.
Michael Casey, 40, called police from a convenience store at about 12.40pm on October 9 2022 and claimed to have left three pipe bombs at the Three Lions on West Street just a few hundred yards from his own home.
Casey, of Kingdom View, previously pleaded guilty to the bomb hoax in October and subsequently admitted a similar offence carried out while in prison in November.
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The second incident took place while he was on remand at HMP Bristol, where he was found holding what appeared to be a bomb to his chest, prompting a lockdown at the prison in Horfield.
Casey was sentenced to three years and four months in prison for both offences at Bristol Crown Court on Friday.
Detective constable 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.”
Main photo & video: Martin Booth
Read next:
- Homes evacuated after reports of ‘suspicious packages’ in pub
- Three Lions bomb hoaxer pleads guilty
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- Outspoken pub landlord to enter race to become Bristol’s next mayor
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