Jann Nirmal, 39, who believed he was being ‘intimidated’ by fellow residents, got drunk and built a cylindrical device featuring hazard stickers, a red light and wires from a sex toy.
He then left it at the top of his stairs, leaving a trail of post-it notes along the banister rail – one of which read: ‘Just one more step’ – before taking refuge in his bedroom.
Dozens of armed police were involved in a nine-hour siege after Nirmal alerted police with a sinister text message. Army bomb squad and trained negotiators were also called in.
The alarm was raised when Nirmal sent a sinister text message to a police constable, who spotted the ‘bomb’ when he peered through the letter box.
He saw the trail of notes from the bottom of the stairs and followed them with his eyes to the device at the top.
Police armed with sub-machine guns sealed off the area, in Leyland, Lancashire, during a nine-hour siege, with 108 homes evacuated.
Trained negotiators and army bomb squad officers were sent in, while British Red Cross volunteers were used to look after up to 50 locals at a nearby leisure club.
Hoax: Nirmal said he did not intend for his hoax device to cause public panic and the evacuation of 108 houses. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison.
Jobless Nirmal eventually gave himself up, telling police it was his intention ‘only to frighten the neighbors’ and not to alarm the wider public.
He was sentenced to 14 months in prison today at Preston Crown Court after admitting placing a hoax bomb.
Judge Christopher Cornwall told him: ‘You placed that device with the intention of inducing someone else to think the object would explore or ignite and likely cause damage.
‘The constable had the unnerving experience to look through the letterbox to find this extraordinary object on the top of the stairs with a red light and wires coming out of it.
‘A 100 meter cordon was thrown round your house, which meant that everyone living within it had to evacuate their homes regardless of their state of health and told to leave their pets behind.
‘They were kept out of their homes for eight or nine hours.
‘It caused immense disruption to the lives of a very large number of people and the whole dreadful incident was spun out for the whole of the day.
‘The fact is that those members of the emergency services who attended were then not available had there been a genuine emergency elsewhere.
‘The enormity of what you did was a deliberate and calculated act. You said you felt intimidated by your neighbors – even though on investigation they felt contrary.
‘It is just wholly unacceptable that you respond by drinking alcohol and erecting this hoax device.
‘I regard this as a grave crime, in reality, committed against the whole community.
‘All those people who had their lives turned upside down for the whole of that day – I stress it was avoidable.’
Earlier in the trial, David Traynor, prosecuting, said the incident occurred on March 23, the morning after Nirmal had threatened two of his neighbors.
He said ‘watch what happens to you lot’ before laughing and walking into his house.
Police were alerted after a text message sent at 8.15am which read: ‘I’ve had enough, the emotion.’ They were able to trace it back to Nirmal.
Mr Traynor said: ‘Officers banged on the door but there was no answer, so they looked through the letter box.
Arrest: Nirmal is led away by police officers at the end of the stand-off, on March 23 this year. Officers broke down his front door and found Nirmal hiding in a bedroom.
‘The officers could see a 2ft tall, deep purple cylinder emblazoned with an orange hazard sticker on the top of the stairs. Wires connected it to a device which had a red light and it looked like explosives.
‘Post-it notes were stuck to the stairs, one of which read: ‘Just one more step.’ The notes were inviting someone to go upstairs – officers felt is was a trap being prepared.
‘The defendant was aware that the bomb unit and armed police were in attendance but he would not surrender and he seemed to have a weapon under his bed. At 5pm the police decided entry should be forced.’
Once inside, police found parts of the dismantled bomb around the house and arrested Nirmal in his bedroom.
In mitigation, his counsel Andrew Gilmore told the hearing: ‘It was his intention to frighten the neighbors, not to alarm the wider public. He’s desperately sorry for what he’s done. He bitterly regrets his actions on that day.’
After the case, Det Insp John Entwistle from Lancashire Police said: ‘I hope the jail sentence serves as a warning to others who think it is acceptable to concoct such terrifying hoaxes.
‘All three emergency services had to respond to this incident which resulted in hours of wasted time and of course wasted money from the public purse.
‘It was also a frightening experience for local residents who had to evacuate their homes and be moved to a rest center whilst we dealt with the incident.
‘Nirmal will not be able to reflect on what he has done whilst serving time in prison and hopefully he will realize the impact his actions have had on people.’
