Woman sent chilling threat to Humberside Police Chief Constable

Former Chief Constable of Humberside Police , Paul Anderson
-Credit: (Image: Rick Byrne / GrimsbyLive)


A vengeful woman sent a message to Humberside Police's then Chief Constable threatening to fire bomb three police officers' homes.

Donna Farrell said she would ignite petrol poured through their letterboxes and they would die. At Grimsby Crown Court the sophisticated way in which Farrell, 39, researched and planned the attacks was outlined by Stephen Welch, prosecuting.

He said the email to the then Chief Constable, Paul Anderson on June 6, this year came before he announced his retirement from force the day before an investigation into allegations of misconduct was launched. Farrell admitted threating to damage or destroy property.

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Mr Welch said the defendant had threatened to "firebomb the homes of three officers." He told how a police sergeant had installed a new CCTV system around his property and a new Ring doorbell.

New fencing and gating has also been installed. The senior officer with 24 years experience in the force, said he had dealt with aggression at work. "But when it falls into your personal life, it is worrying," he said in a statement read by Mr Welch.

He said he suffered sleepless nights and already suffers from a heart condition. Farrell had hidden a mobile phone in her neighbour's home and had used a fake email address with her neighbour's name.

For Farrell, of Boynton Crescent, Winterton, Craig Lowe said there were psychiatric and psychological reports to submit to highlight her mental health difficulties. She requires treatment for her emotionally unstable personality disorder, he said.

Mr Lowe said "She threatened to pour petrol through letter boxes. That is a world away from fire bombing." The defence barrister said she cared for her husband and was in need of treatment herself.

Sentencing Farrell, Recorder Simon Eckersley said the defendant's previous convictions included making false alarm calls to the fire service and sending fake information to agencies, as well as harassment and dishonesty.

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He said the message to the Chief Constable was abusive and said she was "going to teach you a lesson." "I am going to pour petrol through three pigs' homes. Now you have a job to do working out which officers will be dead this weekend."

The judge said: "Just analyse that. This was well thought out. It involved planning and research. It was not spur of the moment. It was conscious and deliberate. The email was sent from the telephone, a telephone you hid in your neighbour's home to hide your identity and you registered the email in your neighbour's name. This was well-planned. It was only through the good agency of the police that you were able to be arrested,"

He added: "You should be thoroughly ashamed of what you have done." He said there was a degree of revenge. The judge said: "There was plainly in my judgement threats to burn the homes." He jailed Farrell for one year.