Man ‘pretended to have a bomb in his bag’ at gates of Downing Street
A court heard that Stephen Abbott, 59, ‘attended the gates at Downing Street, shouting, protesting’ before claiming ‘to have a bomb in his rucksack’ (Picture: EPA)
A man has been accused of turning up at the gates of Downing Street claiming to have a bomb in his rucksack.
Stephen Abbott, 59, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning over the alleged hoax on October 15 last year.
He denied a single charge of communicating to police information which he knew or believed to be false, with the intention of inducing in that person or any other person a false belief.
His case was sent to the Old Bailey, ‘given its profile,’ and Abbott’s next hearing will be on June 16.
Prosecutor Rizwan Amin told the hearing: ‘The agreed facts are that Mr Abbott attended the gates at Downing Street, shouting, protesting.
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‘In short, he was alleged to make comments about Tony Blair and subsequently claimed to have a bomb in his rucksack.’
Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring told the hearing that the case was ‘clearly not suitable for summary trial’.
‘It should go to the Bailey given its profile,’ he added.
Abbott, of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, was granted bail on condition that he does not go within 100 metres of Downing Street.
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