A Brazilian failed asylum seeker has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for placing a fake stick of dynamite outside MI5 headquarters in London on New Year's Day. Julian Valente Pereira, 33, carried out the hoax on January 1, the day after receiving a deportation notice.
Pereira came to the UK in July 2018 with permission to work but later claimed asylum, which was rejected. Prosecutor Shannon Revel said he wanted 'maximum attention' for his complaints against the Home Office after a long-running failed bid to stay in Britain.
CCTV footage showed Pereira stuffing paperwork about his immigration case through the doors of Thames House, then retrieving the fake explosive from his bag and throwing it onto the pavement. The brown cylinder had what appeared to be a fuse hanging from the top. A bomb expert determined the device was made from rolled-up A4 paper, brown masking tape, and string.
The incident coincided with a New Year's Day parade in the capital. The court heard Pereira, who lived in an asylum hotel in Uxbridge, west London, had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Giving evidence, he claimed the device would not have been mistaken for an explosive.
After a trial at City of London Magistrates' Court, Pereira was found guilty in February of placing an article with the intention of inducing another to believe it would explode. Sentencing at the Old Bailey, Judge Mark Lucraft KC noted police concerns that the fake dynamite could have been a 'genuine explosive' and that dealing with the incident diverted officers from other duties. Despite identifying it as a hoax within an hour, concerns remained it could have been a diversionary tactic for another incident.
The judge said Pereira 'may well' be deported from the UK, adding that he was 'of good character, demonstrating some remorse for what you did, expressing regret and sorrow for your actions that day.'
