Patient who made surgery bomb hoax avoids jail
A PATIENT who claimed he had a bomb and threatened to blow up a doctors’ surgery unless he received an injection has avoided jail.
James Arnott, 29, was described as “intoxicated” after making the bomb hoax at Whitchurch Village Practice, in Cardiff, on the morning of June 26.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard he told patients, “I have got a bomb”.
The defendant arrived at the surgery at 10am demanding to see a GP as he had taken an overdose of a prescription drug.
Arnott was told his appointment was not until noon, but a decision was made for him to have his blood pressure checked. However, when a nurse looked for the defendant he had gone. He returned at 11.30am and was described as “clearly drunk” and was very unsteady on his feet.
Prosecutor Catherine Lane said: “He started threatening people.
“Staff led him to a smaller waiting room where he continued to tell them he had a bomb and with one touch of his mobile telephone he would blow the place up. This caused alarm and distress and the practice had to be evacuated.”
Ms Lane said while staff didn’t believe Arnott was serious in his threats, they were required to carry out the appropriate actions.
At the time of the evacuation, there between 60 to 70 patients at the practice, with one patient hiding in her car with her baby.
The police were called and the defendant was arrested. In his interview, he said he had taken an overdose of a prescription drug and had been drinking.
He said he could not remember going to the surgery but said he had voices in his head from a man named Rupert who bullied him.
The defendant apologised to the police for his actions and returned to the surgery the next day to apologise to staff.
Defence barrister William Cordingly said the defendant had mental health difficulties which had been brought about by his alcohol and drug abuse.
Judge Eleri Rees sentenced Arnott, of Bakers Wharf, Pontypridd, to 18 weeks in jail suspended for one year. He was made subject to a curfew order and a rehabilitation requirement of 12 months.