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Bomb Threat

October 26, 2011 permalink

Simon Dukes threatened to blow up Bath and North East Somerset Council offices (England) to kill a social worker for getting his wife to leave him.

Fixcas reports this as news without taking sides. But here is a comment from Legally Kidnapped:

Note: Before some System Suck gets her panties in a bunch, Legally Kidnapped does not condone this sort of behavior. Never make threats. You will lose the element of surprise.

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Man admits he threatened to killsocialworker

A BOMB threat was made against staff at a social services office in Keynsham, a court heard.

Simon Dukes threatened to blow up the Bath and North East Somerset Council offices because he wanted to kill his ex-partner's social worker.

Bristol Crown Court heard Dukes believed the social worker had sabotaged his relationship with his former partner by recommending to her that she leave him.

The court was told Dukes, a 25-year-old father, made threats to the social worker and other social services staff during interviews with a probation worker and psychiatric nurse.

He said he would use a gun in the offices, that he knew how to make the explosive Semtex, and that there were five members of staff at the offices he wanted to kill.

Dukes also said he would be willing to wait outside the social services office for three days for the arrival of the female social worker he wanted to kill.

Mark Humphries, prosecuting, said Dukes, of no fixed address, made the threats on July 22 and August 12.

Dukes later said that whenever he had tried to speak to the social worker, he had been escorted from the social services offices.

He later played down the threats, saying he had "no intention of hurting her, but wanted to be taken seriously".

The court heard Dukes had previous convictions for common assaults and public order offences.

Jason Taylor, defending, said Dukes felt "the system was against him".

He said: "He was in a relationship with a woman and became aware that social services were saying that she should end this relationship with him as he's a risk to her and her children.

"She didn't have any details and he found himself being run down and had no reason why."

Mr Taylor said his client made the threats after being told to be "open and honest" with his feelings in an routine interview with a probation worker.

He said: "When he was asked questions, he gave answers. Those answers were turned around on him.

"Since he has been in custody, he has had a chance to reflect and can't excuse his actions.

"It may well be a salutary lesson he's not going to forget.

"When he found the system was completely against him, he committed these offences."

Mr Taylor said the victim in the case was "unnerved by the whole experience".

He said his client had deranged thoughts and delusions of grandeur, often about the Army.

Mr Taylor said: "He was brought up by an alcoholic father who was obsessed by the Army."

When asked why he had made the threats, Dukes told the court: "Every year I tried to find out what social services were upset with me about. I did it out of frustration."

Dukes admitted making threats to kill and threats to destroy or damage property.

Judge David Ticehurst gave him a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Dukes will be supervised by the probation service for two years and carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Source: Bristol Evening Post

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