Dad pleads guilty to home nailbomb bid

Dangerous discovery: Three-year-old Levigh Bamber discovered a nailbomb in the garden at his Preston home

A single dad of eight has admitted planting a nail bomb in the garden of a woman he knew, which was found the next day by her three-year-old son.

Christopher Dooley, 40, pleaded guilty to making an explosive but claims he has no recollection of making or leaving the device in the garden at Hazelhurst Road, Preston.

But in a text message sent to the householder Joanne Dixon, 34, at 3.30am on July 13, Dooley told the woman: “Just had a walk around to yours. Shame that.”

The following day Miss Dixon’s son Leveigh Bamber, three, found the device, crammed with nails and gunpowder, while he was playing in the front garden. Dooley always denied making the nail bomb but has now pleaded guilty on a basis which has yet to be considered by the prosecution. A document setting out 16 points setting out Dooley’s background and his actions in the early hours of July 13 has been handed to the court for consideration.,

Peter Turner, defending, told the court single dad-of-eight Dooley had been under a “peculiar period of strain” at the time he committed the offence and asked for a psychiatric report to be prepared before his client is sentenced on December 16.

But Robert Golinski, prosecuting, said: “I strongly suspect the crown will never be able to accept the assertion he has no recollection of the making and depositing of this device into the complainant’s garden.”

He cited the message sent to Miss Dixon. Bomb disposal experts were called in and spent six hours at the scene, during which time, Levigh and his siblings were evacuated from their home. Miss Dixon told the Evening Post: “It was the hottest day of the year, and we have been told if the sun had have hit it the heat may have been enough on its own to set it off.“We were told it was strong enough to have killed Levigh, and maim any adult who was in a certain distance.”

She added: “I took the package off Levigh and I didn’t know what it was at first, until the powder came out. Then we noticed the tiny nails attached to it. The police operator sounded shocked - they said: ‘Put it outside and do it now, now, now’. So ran out and put my handbag in the shed.”

Dooley has been remanded in custody and will return to Preston Crown Court on December 16 to be sentenced. Judge Graham Knowles QC told Dooley: “You know, no doubt that a prison sentence of one form or another must await you for this offence.”

[http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/dad-pleads-guilty-to-home-nailbomb-bid-1-6237241]

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