Craigavon man admits making 16 hoax bomb calls

Kieran Laverty, (20) pleaded guilty to making 16 hoax bomb calls on seven separate days between May 2013 and January 2014.

The 20-year-old also admitted two counts of placing an article with intent to cause a bomb hoax.

Appearing in the dock of Belfast Crown Court, he was told he will be sentenced for the offences next week.

Earlier on Tuesday, Lavery pleaded guilty to a charge of communicating false information to a member of staff at Brownlow Leisure Centre on 19 May 2013, with the intention of inducing the staff member to believe that a bomb or other liable device was liable to explode or ignite on the Brownlow Road in Craigavon.

When he was asked for his plea, Lavery replied “guilty” both to this charge and 15 other offences of a similar nature.

The 16 charges relate to a series of calls that were received on different dates in May 2013, July 2013 and January 2014.

On 19 May, 2013 a total of four calls were made between 3.08pm and 7.44pm.

Two calls were made to a member of staff at Brownlow Leisure Centre warning of a device on the Brownlow Road, while the other two calls were made to a 999 operator, warning that a bomb had been left on the Tandragee Road in Craigavon.

The following day, two calls were made to a 999 operator, claiming a bomb had been left at Brownlow College.

On May 28, 2013 a 999 operator received two calls - one at 1.07pm and the other at 6.16pm. The first call was made regarding a device at Brownlow Road, while the second call was in connection with a device at Tullygally Road East.

Lavery also admitted placing an article at Tullygally Road East/Brownlow Road with the intention of causing a bomb hoax on the same date.

Lavery has also been charged with making five calls claiming bombs had been left in the Tullygally Road area of Craigavon on 4 July, 2013.

The calls were all received by 999 operators and were made over a period spanning just over seven hours. In addition, he admitted placing an article at Tullygally Road East on 4 July, 2013 with the intention of causing a bomb hoax.

Lavery also pleaded guilty to making hoax bomb calls on July 24, 2013 when a 999 operator took received a call about a device left at Lake Street in Lurgan; on January 12, 2014 when a 999 call was received claiming a device had been placed at Craigavon PSNI station, and also on January 31, 2014 when a call was made to a member of staff at Drumgor Youth Centre claiming a bomb had been left at the same police station.

After guilty verdicts were entered on all 18 charges, Judge David McFarland told Lavery he will be sentenced next Tuesday. After Lavery’s defence barrister said there would be no application for bail, Lavery was remanded back in to custody.