The night this man broke into Holyrood and how £100m of security failed to stop him
Intruder pleads guilty and tells how he roamed corridors of power unchallenged for 30 minutes, even taking 122 selfies
AN intruder who broke into the Scottish parliament has revealed how easily he was able to bypass the building’s multi-million pound security systems.
Jake Gibb sparked a major terror alert when, as part of a drunken night out, he staged a late-night raid on Holyrood.
In a major embarrassment for the parliament, which has spent millions installing hi-tech scanners and anti-terror devices, the 31-year-old simply scrambled over a wall to access the grounds, then entered the building through an unlocked door.
For around half an hour he walked unchallenged through sensitive areas – including maintenance rooms containing access to the ventilation systems, corridors close to the main debating chamber and even the tower containing Ministers’ offices.
He took hundreds of photos on his phone and was only apprehended after he used the intercom to taunt security guards.
Last week Gibb appeared in court and pleaded guilty to criminal charges relating to the break-in.
Afterwards he told The Scottish Mail on Sunday: ‘It’s just as well I’m not a terrorist...
HOLYROOD Intruder dodged anti-terror defences BREAK-IN EXPOSES SECURITY SHAMBLES
EXCLUSIVE
AN intruder broke into the Scottish he wandered into the innermost parts of parliament – exposing major flaws the building – including the tower where
Ministers have their offices and store BREAK-IN NEWS: Mail on Sunday story
Getting into the building was just too easy.’
While apologising for his actions, he also blamed the authorities for failing to install security.
He said: ‘I’m really for Scottish independence, but I feel they are simply inept.
‘It’s a gift to the Unionists to say we’re not capable of securing our own parliament building.’
News of the breathtaking security breach comes as the safety of politicians is under renewed scrutiny following the death earlier this month of Tory MP Sir David Amess, who was fatally stabbed during a constituency surgery.
Details of the break-in, which sparked an urgent review of security, emerged at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday when Gibb, a labourer and single father from the city’s Broomhouse, admitted breaking in, roaming through Holyrood without permission and committing acts of vandalism.
The court heard that Gibb had taken a cocktail of alcohol and tranquillisers on January 14.
Around 11pm he cycled to the foot of the Royal Mile and spent around 20 minutes outside the parliament building, apparently trying – in vain – to attract the attention of the security guards.
In what he called a ‘cry for help’ for his addictions, he knelt on the pavement.
But when he was ignored, Gibb decided instead to try to break into the building.
Holyrood was opened in 2004, having cost £414 million to build. Millions more were later spent upgrading security with the introduction of scanners, metal detectors and biometric entry systems.
However, the court heard Gibb simply ‘slipped over the wall’ – apparently without tripping the purpose-built motion sensors – next to the passholders’ entrance in Canongate.
Once inside the perimeter, he opened an unsecured metal door which led to a service area full of heating and ventilation pipes.
From there he roamed the building, including the Ministerial Tower, taking more than 122 selfies, kicking a wall panel, and taunting security via their own intercom. He then tried to escape via gardens outside the MSPs’ offices, but found himself trapped in a dead end, at which point he was captured by security guards and held until the police arrived.
When officers arrested him, he told them: ‘I’m not a terrorist. I’m curious. I just came for a look around. I just wanted to see what Nicola was up to.’
When asked how he got into the building, he told police: ‘That’s for you to find out. Security is s**t.’
Miriam Clark, prosecuting, said Gibb’s one-man invasion of the parliament complex had ‘caused great concern’.
Nigel Beaumont, defending, said: ‘This was a highly opportunistic incident. He’d consumed quantities of alcohol and also commonly available street Valium drugs.
‘Having taken far too much drink and far too much of this drug, this foolish fantasy came into his head.
‘This was more a stupid form of daring behaviour to see if he could get in. He apologises to the court for this stupidity.’
Mr Beaumont highlighted secuproper
rity failings that had allowed Gibb to enter the building undetected.
He said: ‘There was supposed to be some sort of motion-detecting alarm to advise security someone was coming over the wall but that doesn’t seem to have been functioning.
‘The next stage was finding the hatch which appears to have been unlocked. He opened that without any tools, force or equipment.
‘He was taking pictures of himself to prove to friends and family that he was in there.’
Mr Beaumont disclosed that there was no CCTV footage of his client wandering around the service area taking selfies because there were no cameras in place.
He said: ‘It was initially tomfoolery and there was a very brief conversation with the security control room. Thereafter he tried to get out of the building... and found himself confined in the garden, which I understand is the MSPs’ recreational garden.’
Mr Beaumont said Gibb had since given up drugs, ‘foresworn alcohol’ and, for the first time in a long time, was in full-time employment.
On Friday he pleaded guilty to breach of the peace and causing malicious damage.
He admitted scaling a security wall, roaming around the building without permission, repeatedly activating security alarms and taking photographs on his mobile phone. He also admitted using an internal intercom system in order to make his presence known and, when traced by members of security staff, repeatedly swearing at them and refusing to confirm his identity ‘all to their fear and alarm’.
In addition, he pleaded guilty to a second charge of kicking a wall panel and forcibly removing a fire alarm station for disabled people.
Sheriff Nigel Ross called for a criminal justice social work background report because of the nature of the offence and Gibb’s recent difficulties.
Gibb is due to be sentenced next month.
Yesterday a Scottish parliament spokesman said: ‘We note the court’s decision.
‘As a matter of standard practice we don’t comment on the specific detail of security matters.’
‘I just wanted to see what Nicola was up to’