BA factory bomb hoaxer is jailed

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A man who made a hoax bomb threat at a British Airways factory in south Wales has been jailed for 15 months.

Kenneth Slocombe phoned security at BA in Pontllanfraith in November 2005 and said: "You have a bomb at the perimeter of your fence."

The 26-year-old, from Hengoed, had previously been sacked from the plant.

He was jailed at Cardiff Crown Court after admitting communicating false information with intent and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He had worked at the factory making chairs for planes but in August 2004 was sacked for lying about having a full driving licence.

In the current climate of world security hoax callers must expect to be dealt with severely Judge Isabel Parry

Simon Hughes, prosecuting, said Slocombe's hoax call led to the factory being evacuated while a search was conducted for explosive devices.

When police traced the call to Slocombe's address, he told them during an interview that the call could not have been made by him as he was working at Gregg's Bakery in Treforest that morning.

He also gave them the name of another man he said could have been responsible.

But further investigations by officers revealed Slocombe had not worked at the bakery that day and the man he had named died seven months before the hoax call.

Slocombe was charged with communicating false information with intent and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He pleaded guilty to both offences at an earlier hearing.

'Personality problems'

Jeffrey Jones, defending, said Slocombe had consumed alcohol and taken tablets around the time of the hoax call and had trouble remembering what he had done.

He said: "This isn't a case where there was great menace from Mr Slocombe or where there was an expensive outlay from the police.

"This is a defendant who has had a personality breakdown and personality problems."

Judge Isabel Parry told Slocombe she gave him credit for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity, but had to jail him to serve as an example to other would-be bomb hoaxers.

She said: "In the current climate of world security hoax callers must expect to be dealt with severely."

Judge Parry jailed Slocombe for 12 months for the bomb hoax and imposed a consecutive sentence of three months for attempting to pervert the course of justice.