A man who made a series of hoax bomb threats in Piccadilly causing disruption was jailed on Friday for two years and six months at Manchester Crown Court Crown Square.
James Anthony Black, 39, of no fixed abode, began his tirade on Thursday February 14 at around 4.10pm when he made a 999 call from a phone box on Ducie Street and said that ‘there is a bomb in Piccadilly train station it will go off in five minutes.’
Police then responded to the threat and the station was evacuated causing disruption to travellers with emergency service and A & E hospitals put on stand-by should there be an explosion.
An officer then spoke to a man on the street who knew Black and said that an Irish man called Paddy had used the phone and run off.
Detective Inspector Brian Morley from North Manchester division, said: “Making bomb threats is not a prank. It is a serious criminal offence.
“Black’s actions caused a huge amount of disruption to the community and wasted police time and public money.
“His actions disrupted the plans of thousands of travellers and commuters when he made a false claim a bomb had been planted in Manchester Piccadilly train station.
“He went on to make further bomb hoaxes across the city, each hoax involved considerable activity when each building had to be thoroughly searched to discover whether the threats were genuine or not.”
On the same day at around 9.40pm, another call to 999 was made from a phone box on Piccadilly Gardens outside Burger King on the corner of Moseley Street and Parker Street.
The caller who again had an Irish accent told police that ‘there’s a bomb at Nobles arcade you’ve got three and a half hours.’
A team of officers were then dispatched and searched the area trying to avoid disruption or panic to the public in the area.
CCTV footage was reviewed from outside the amusement arcade and Black was seen walking past the front of the amusement arcade where he made the call.
On Sunday February 17 at around 3pm another call was made to the 999 service from the row of telephone boxes outside Primark and Burger King.
The CCTV footage showed Black making the call, he then walked into Burger King before leaving a few minutes later.
Black was then arrested at about 11.30pm on Monday February 18 in Piccadilly Gardens around 100 yards from where he made the calls.
DI Morley added: “The prosecution should serve as reminder that making a bomb hoax is serious criminal offence and Black is where he belongs behind bars.”
Picture courtesy of Johnny Wilson via Flickr, with thanks.
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