Man, 29, behind bomb hoax at busy city surgery

A MAN has appeared in court charged with being behind a bomb hoax at a busy doctors surgery in Cardiff.

James Arnott appeared before District Judge Neil Thomas at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

The 29-year-old from Gwaun Close in Whitchurch, Cardiff, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, July 12, to the bomb hoax.

Nik Strobl, prosecuting, said the incident occurred at Whitchurch Village Practice on the morning of Monday, June 26.

The surgery had to be evacuated while the incident was resolved.

The suburban medical practice, based on Park Road in Whitchurch, offers GP services to patients of all ages.

It is run by partners Dr Catherine Davies and Dr Niamh McConnell.

They employ assistant doctors, as well as a practice team made up of receptionists, practice nurses and health care assistants.

A bomb hoax is an offence under Section 51 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

A person is guilty of the offence if they communicate information, which they know to be false, to another person intending to make them believe a bomb is present.

The legislation states this may apply to a bomb or anything else likely to explode or ignite.

Arnott is also charged with causing criminal damage, drunk and disorderly behaviour and assault by beating.

He has not yet entered pleas to all those counts, which are due to be dealt with in the magistrates’ court on October 25.

Those charges relate to the period between June and August.

Dressed in a grey T-shirt, the defendant spoke only to confirm his name at the brief hearing, which was attended by two people in the public gallery.

District Judge Thomas said he would commit the bomb hoax charge to Cardiff Crown Court.

Arnott was remanded in custody until his plea and trial preparation hearing at the crown court on Octo-