[Article] Late passenger set up bomb hoax to delay plane, jury told

Victor

Ahhh, new depths for stupidy. The guy in the second piece deserved a Darwin Award.

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/6060618?view=Eircomnet

Late passenger set up bomb hoax to delay plane, jury told
From:The Irish Independent
Tuesday, 2nd August, 2005

A TEENAGER running late for a flight to Dublin triggered a bomb hoax that grounded three aircraft, a court heard yesterday.

Angela Sceats (19) from Sydney, Australia, asked a friend to tell police that there was a bomb on the flight she was trying to catch from Stansted in England in order to give her more time, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.

Sceats, who denies communicating false information with intent, told police that she had been joking and that her friend had misunderstood.

Jurors heard that Sceats, who was working as a waitress in Islington, north London, was making her way to Stansted airport to catch a flight to Dublin on November 22 last.

The court heard a tape recording of Miss Forster's 999 call to police during which she said: "I just got a message from my friend who is meant to be boarding the 8.10am flight from London to Dublin. She has just messaged me to say I have got to call the police. There is a bomb on board."

During the phone call Ms Forster told police: "I am not sure of the whole situation."

Ms Forster, who gave police Sceats's name and a description, spelled out the text message, telling police that it said: "Can you call the police. There is a bomb on board. The flight is 8.10. Leaving from Stansted. Going to Dublin. The number is 999. Do it now."

Mr Casey said Ms Forster sent Sceats a text containing the word "serious" after receiving the message.

He said Sceats had sent another text saying: "Absolutely. Hurry up. Do it from the payphone outside. Put on an accent. Tell them there is a man with a gun to your head telling you to make the phone call."

Police halted three flights that were due to leave Stansted for Dublin and arrested Sceats at the airport.

Jurors were told that when questioned by police at Stansted, she said: "It has all been a bit of a misunderstanding. I was running late for my flight. I knew I would not make it."

She added: "I told her to get them to hold the plane up. Tell them there is a bomb on board. It's all just been a joke."

Jurors were told that police had considered closing the airport but after an officer spoke to Sceats he decided there was no bomb threat and allowed flights to leave as normal.

When interviewed by police, Sceats said the text had been part of "a stupid conversation with a friend".

She said the text was never meant to be taken seriously.

"I'm extremely sorry but it was just dropped in as a joke," Sceats told police.

"It was never meant to be taken seriously and she knew that. I was sending stupid, delirious, crazy messages."

The hearing was adjourned until today.

Brian Farmer

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/6060627?view=Eircomnet

Man jailed for airport terror scare
From:The Irish Independent
Tuesday, 2nd August, 2005

A DUTCH court has jailed an Irishman for a week after he caused panic at one of Europe's busiest airports with a bomb hoax.

The 23-year-old shouted that he had a bomb in his bag after losing patience with staff at Schipol Airport on July 8 - the day after the London bombs.

A large section of the departures and arrivals terminal had to be evacuated as anti-terrorist police raced after the runaway Irishman.

Yesterday a spokesman for the public prosecution service said the jail sentence was a deterrent. "The examining magistrate wanted the message to go out that these bomb hoaxes will not be tolerated," he said.

Isabel Conway in Amsterdam