Yahoo News Drug addict claimed he planted nail bomb at police station - in bid to be sent back to jail
A drug addict told officers he had planted a nail bomb in a Teesside police station in a desperate bid to be sent back to jail, a court heard.
Adam Greener, 37, told officers he would continue to visit Stockton Police Station until he was remanded into custody after problems with his accommodation. The Stockton defendant was previously handed a 15-month prison sentence suspended for two years after threatening his ex.
However, Teesside Crown Court heard just under two weeks later, Greener damaged a Volkswagen Passat and a BMW. On May 28, he was taken into custody and admitted criminal damage before being bailed.
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Prosecutor Emma Atkinson said on May 30, the defendant returned to Stockton Police station and threw a brick at an unmarked police vehicle. When the first brick bounced off he threw another shattering a window.
Summarising the case, Judge Richard Bennett said: "Having been detained you told officers you would keep attending the police station every day until you were remanded. While you were in the police van and on-route to the custody suite you stated that you planted a nail bomb in the police station which would detonate at 7 o'clock the following morning. You claimed this would be activated by a mobile phone."
The Middlesbrough court heard the officer had doubts it was a credible threat but treated the incident as real and reported it. Judge Bennett said CCTV was checked and an extensive search was carried out but nothing was found.
When arrested for the bomb hoax he challenged the officer saying "how do you know it's a hoax?" The court heard at the time Greener was having problems with accommodation. He told the Probation Service the housing was frequented by drug users and he was concerned it would pull him back into the throes of drug addiction.
'Your only option was to go back to prison'
Judge Bennett said: "You left the accommodation and technically made yourself homeless and your only option you said was to get yourself arrested and go back to prison."
In mitigation, the court heard the defendant acknowledged his guilt from an early stage. He admitted the bomb hoax and three offences of criminal damage.
Judge Bennett activated the defendant's 15-month suspended sentence and he was handed a consecutive six-months prison sentence, making a total of 21 months.
Teesside Live previously reported on Greener's earlier crimes. He was sentenced in May after making threats to his ex, calling her numerous times, turning up to her home and demanding she move out of Stockton. Teesside Crown Court heard his campaign of harassment took place after she made a report to Cleveland Police following an incident outside her home.
Outlining the case in May, prosecutor Tabitha Buck said on November 22, last year, damage was caused to her friend's vehicle and her living room window. Ms Buck said at about 7.15am she was woken by the car alarm going off and heard lots of banging. She claimed she saw two males damaging her friend's white SEAT Ateca.
The Middlesbrough court heard after she made the report the 37-year-old defendant repeatedly contacted her. Ms Buck said: "She started to receive calls from a number she knew to be the defendant's from when they briefly dated. The first call came in at 2pm on the 26th of November and the last call near midnight that same day.
"She answered a few of those calls and the first time she heard him say 'drop the charges or I'll slash you up'. He then told her that she had to move out of Stockton. The second time he spoke to her he mentioned that another individual had arranged an altercation."
The court heard the defendant - previously of Rosthwaite Avenue - pleaded guilty to witness intimidation and harassment and narrowly avoided prison.
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