22 Months Jailed for Bomb Hoaxing Man from Kent

Sutton Valence bomb hoaxer jailed for 22 months A bomb hoax made to Kent Police in the wake of the 2017 UK terror attacks has resulted in a man being jailed for 22 months. Christopher Haw, 25, of Sutton Road, Sutton Valence, called 999 and threatened to kill people with a firearm and explosives he claimed to have in his possession. Following his arrest he told officers he had a pipe bomb and planned to blow up a building, only to then apologise and admit he was telling lies. However, a subsequent search of Haw’s home resulted in the discovery of materials that could have been used to make explosives. He was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday 18 May 2018 after pleading guilty to making a bomb hoax and assaulting a police officer. The court heard how at 8.05pm on Saturday 8 July 2017, Kent Police was notified by South East Coast Ambulance Service that Haw had contacted them claiming to have a gun and bombs and that he was going to kill people. He added that he wanted armed officers to attend and ‘bring it on’. It was quickly established through a conversation with a family member who was also present that Haw had no guns or bombs, but had been drinking and taking drugs and was becoming violent. Police attended and when Haw answered the front door he made a gun gesture with his right hand, which he pointed at an officer’s head. He also spat at another. Haw was quickly detained and made a number of comments while being taken into custody about having a pipe bomb and wanting to blow up a building. Detective Sergeant Dan Barker of Kent Police said: ‘Christopher Haw has expressed remorse for his actions and clearly has his issues, but that is no excuse for his behaviour. ‘He admitted in interview that he knew in the current climate he would get a reaction by claiming to have a bomb. Not only was this a waste of police time, it was also incredibly irresponsible and could have resulted in vital resources being diverted away from a genuine emergency. ‘The materials found during a search of his home were also of concern to us. While Haw denied intending to use them to harm anybody else, the fact is they could have been combined to make an explosive and that is completely unacceptable. ‘Haw has been in custody since his arrest last July and I hope he has taken the opportunity to reconsider the way he handles his personal issues in future.’