Man facing jail over bomb call

Man facing jail over bomb call

4 February 2015

A FORMER Downpatrick man is facing a prison sentence for making a hoax bomb call which led to a security operation in Ballynahinch.

Thirty two year-old Jackie Johnston will be sentenced tomorrow at Downpatrick Crown Court after admitting making the call while drunk on November 25, 2013.

The call made by Johnston claimed a pipe bomb had been left in the Riverside area of Ballynahinch, but had not exploded. Police conducted a series of searches of the area over the following two days before concluding it was a hoax.

Johnston, who now lives at Berkley Square, in Bangor, appeared at the Crown Court on Friday when details of the offence were outlined.

Prosecution barrister Laura Eivers told the court that Johnston made the hoax call several hours after appearing at Downpatrick courthouse for a different case. The case had been adjourned which “frustrated and angered” Johnston, Mrs. Eivers explained.

“At 11pm a phone call was received by the police that a pipe bomb had been left outside Riverside Meadow and had not gone off,” she told the court. “Police went to the area and began a search of an area of waste ground as part of a search.”

The search resumed again in daylight with officers joined by specialist dog handlers but after 10 hours of searching the operation was called off. 

The police also searched the Riverside Meadow area in the village of Crumlin in case the caller had got the wrong town.

“Police officers listened to the call and recognised the caller’s voice as belonging to the defendant,” Mrs. Eivers continued.”He was arrested and when his house was searched two phones were found together with various sim cards.

“A voice analyst was consulted and said the voice on the recording was consistent with it being Jackie Johnston,” she added.

The barrister said while no-one had to be evacuated from homes, the police operation cost over £2,000.

She also pointed out that Johnston has a number of suspended sentences hanging over his head.

Defence barrister Chris Holmes handed in a letter of apology from Johnston to Judge Piers Grant, explaining that he had been drunk when he made the call.

“He has a horrendous record and has been in trouble since his early days as a youth,” said Mr. Holmes. “Alcohol and illegal substances were very much a part of that to the extent that he completely went off the rails.”

“He has periods of quasi stability but then alcohol kicks in again. He made this phone call in complete intoxication sparked by frustration at a lack of movement in a court case in which in was involved.

“There was no disruption to the public and he didn’t single out a specific person or group in the hoax call,” said Mr. Holmes.

Judge Grant adjourned sentencing until tomorrow but warned Johnston he was facing a period of imprisonment.