Airport hoax-bomber jailed

A 49-year-old man who caused Dublin Airport to be evacuated last summer when he paraded around the arrivals area claiming to have a bomb and threatening to set it off because he wanted to "make a point" has been sentenced to three years by Dublin Circuit Court.

John McHugh, of Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1, caused chaos when he held a backpack over his head and shouted "Allah Akbar", "clear the airport" and "I have a bomb and I'm going to set it off". He warned that people had five seconds to get out or it was going to blow.

When challenged by airport police he set the bag on the ground and gave him self up for arrest. An army bomb disposal team was called and established that the bag contained only personal items.

The airport was evacuated and all planes were stopped from landing for over half an hour. The all clear was given an hour and a half after McHugh's threats were made, causing over 100 flights to be delayed and more than 35 cancelled.

McHugh pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false statement that he was in possession of an explosive substance at the airport on July 4, 2006.

Judge Katherine Delahunt suspended the final year of the three year jail term and said that given the events of the past year she could only guess at the terror McHugh had caused families at the airport to suffer.

The court heard that McHugh was wearing a T-shirt on which he had printed "I salute the Iraqi's right to bear arms". He had worn the shirt on Grafton Street days earlier and was disappointed that no one had reacted to it.

As a result he formulated a plan to make the bomb threat at the airport. His defence counsel said he was "very put out" by the lack of reaction on Grafton Street and felt it necessary to take action "which would illicit a reaction".

Detective Garda Christopher Elliot told Sean Guerin BL, prosecuting, that McHugh took a bus to the airport and asked at the information desk when the next flight would arrive from the USA. He was told a flight would arrive in one hour and he then held up his bag and started shouting.

Det Gda Elliot said that when arrested McHugh gave his name but refused to give his address until he had spoken to a solicitor. He had the name of a lawyer written on a piece of paper.

He was brought to Santry Garda Station where he told gardai he had lived in Holland for 13 years and had previously worked as a post man and courier. He said he had been affected by accounts of events in the former Yugoslavia and treatment of Muslims in that part of the world.

He told gardai he had joined the Kosovo Liberation Army and had spent five days on manoeuvres with them. He said his bomb threat was a protest against the American military's use of Shannon Airport

He said he did not like scaring women and children but had wanted to "make a point". He said he had no access to explosives and had no intention of hurting anyone.

"I scared the living daylights out of innocent people and will regret it for the rest of my life", he told gardai.

Det Gda Elliot said the airport was put on "red alert" as land side staff and passengers were evacuated and air side passengers were held clear of the terminal. McHugh had entered the airport at around 1.30 p.m. and the army bomb disposal team did not give the all clear until 3.50 p.m.

A flight arriving from Manchester had to turn back, 44 arrivals were delayed and 19 arrivals cancelled. Over 60 departures were delayed and 18 cancelled. Det Gda Elliot agreed with Mr Guerin that the consequences of McHugh's actions spread across all aspects of the airport at "substantial cost".

McHugh had three previous convictions for drug offences in the early 1980s and one for larceny in the 1970s.

Remy Farrell BL, defending, said his client had intended to "create a stir" and "had not thought out the full consequences of his actions". Mr Farrell said McHugh had a "deep felt obligation to do something about a situation elsewhere in the world".