Bradford hoaxer faces jail after MI5 evacuates three-year-olds from school

A HOAXER from Bradford who emailed a bomb threat to the “contact us” section of MI5’s website was warned today to expect a substantial prison sentence.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard that Ghulam Kibria was hunted down by anti-terrorism officers after informing the security services that a bomb had been hidden in a junior school.

The email to MI5, which was read to the court after Kibria pleaded guilty to communicating a bomb hoax, stated: “There is a bomb planted in Prince Albert Junior and Infant School in Aston. There is nothing you can do - we can strike any time, anywhere.”

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Kibria, 33, will be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court next month after a district judge decided that the six-month maximum sentence available to magistrates was insufficient.

Prosecutor David Devine told the court that Kibria, of Rugby Place, Lidget Green, Bradford, sent the email on August 8 last year.

The message, which included the name of Kibria’s ex-wife, was taken as a “clear and immediate threat” by the police, said Mr Devine, and 700 pupils and 110 members of staff and parents were evacuated from Prince Albert School shortly after 2pm.

Kibria’s laptop was then seized by police and a copy of the email was found on the hard drive, Mr Devine added.

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Defence solicitor Reyaz Ali told the court that his client suffered from mental health issues and had been accompanied to the court by a social worker.

The defendant was committed for sentence at Crown Court after District Judge Jack McGarva ruled that the maximum six-month sentence available to him was “clearly inadequate” for the offence.

Granting unconditional bail, Judge McGarva told Kibria: “This is a very serious matter.

“I bear in mind the effect of your actions on teachers at the school, the children of the school - who are aged between three and 11 - and the parents of those children.

“It’s hard to imagine the extent of the damage that you have caused by your actions.”