Jail term for addict who made explosive at home

After police raided the address of lonely geek James Curtis, 35, they called in the bomb squad and evacuated 50 homes in the neighbourhood for 48 hours and threw up a 200-metre road safety cordon.

More than 40 police officers were drafted in, 20 residents moved out and an air exclusion zone was imposed around 
Curtis’s home.

Police stumbled across the explosives during a drugs raid in Ridgehill Avenue, Intake, where he was suspected of producing cannabis. They found self-made TATP (triacetone triperoxide) in a box on top of a kitchen cupboard – used as a terrorist explosive in the Middle East and chosen as a detonator by “shoe bomber” Richard Reid.

Curtis admitted two offences of making explosives and one of possessing explosives on May 10 last year when he appeared before Sheffield Crown Court.

Prosecutor Rachael Harrison said the bomb squad removed the substance to make it safe through a controlled explosion and also dealt with a pipe bomb found in a garden shed which turned out to be empty.

Miss Harrison said a “large number of different chemicals” were found in the house and examination of his computer found he had researched a wide variety of explosives on the internet.

When arrested Curtis told police the TATP was “rocket fuel” but the prosecution told the court it was an “extremely hazardous” primary heat explosive which could be used to detonate high explosives.

Danny Simpson, for Curtis, said he had been “out of control” through drug misuse in his youth and had remained addicted to drugs throughout his life.

He was lonely and spent much of his time at home indulging in his obsession with rockets, chemicals and explosives.

“It was virtually the only thing he had interest in and spent any time doing,” added Mr Simpson.

Most of his experiments were lawful but in the end it had led to him breaking the law.

“It is not suggested that he would do anything to harm anybody or anything,” said Mr Simpson. “There were no preparations for a weapon of any sort.”

When asked by officers if there was anything dangerous in the house he had pointed out the TATP but that was all.

Curtis, who only had previous convictions for shoplifting from years ago, had been very unhappy since his partner died five months before the event and since his arrest his dog had died while he was in custody. He expressed his shame at the distress caused to his family and neighbours.

Mr Simpson added: “He is a man who lived in a shell who had little connection with the outside world for many years and even less so after the death of his partner.

“He sidelined himself off into a world of his own. It was this unreality of his existence which led him to go beyond where a sensible person would have gone. He was in some ways cocooned from reality.”

Judge Simon Lawler said Curtis clearly had an interest in explosives although the TATP was in a different league.

“It is accepted that you had no hostile or malicious intent towards the general public, however, you knew this material was hazardous and it was dangerous. That is the serious aspect of this case.”

He suspected Curtis had been experimenting and put the safety of others at risk.

“In my view there was a potentially serious risk to the public and you were responsible for that,” the judge added.

The offence of producing cannabis was allowed to lie on file.