Prisoner who made hoax bomb threats claiming “I’m from Liverpool ISIS” given 10 month sentence

A prisoner who made hoax bomb calls from his cell claiming “I’m from Liverpool ISIS” was jailed for 10 months.

Daniel Truelove, 20, threatened to blow up Lime Street station using a phone installed in his cell at HMP Altcourse to aid his rehabilitation.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Truelove pretended to be a member of the Islamic terrorist group in four calls to the Samaritans and Crimestoppers.

He said six men were praying before heading to the train station at around 8.45pm on August 27 last year.

Katy Appleton, prosecuting, said: “He said they were wearing tactical vests with explosives that would be remotely detonated. He said one was carrying an Islamic State flag.

“In the second call on August 29 at 6pm, he stated he was part of Liverpool ISIS, at a kiosk at Lime Street station, carrying an Islamic State flag with a suicide vest and a bomb in a backpack.”

“In the third call the following day at 10.40am he spoke of a bomb threat to the railway station at midnight.

“Later that day at 7pm, he stated he was a man called Aled Madora and was being pressurised by threats to behead his family to plant a bomb.”

None of the calls included specific code words often used by terrorist groups when warning of bomb plots.

The station was not evacuated but British Transport Police increased searches and deployed extra officers authorised to carry Tasers.

The calls were traced to Truelove’s cell, in which he was spending 23 hours a day, and the inmate was arrested.

Truelove, of no fixed address, admitted two counts of communicating a bomb hoax.

He has nine previous convictions for 17 offences including assault and battery.

In August 2013 he was locked up for 10 months for affray and criminal damage, after climbing on the roof of a McDonald’s restaurant in Birkenhead and hurling tiles at a police car.

Altcourse Prision in Fazakerley. Photo by James Maloney

He was locked up for 27 months in January 2014 after attempting to rob a dog walker in Birkenhead Park .

Neil Gunn, defending, said his client was a trained chef, who suffered from bipolar disorder.

He said: “He has been a fool – of that there is no doubt. He apologises not only to your honour and this court but more importantly to the two organisations that he called.

“The prisoners can’t phone anybody – there is a restriction on who they can call. The two numbers not vetted that can be called freely are Crimestoppers and the Samaritans.

“He says it was a prank. He didn’t believe it would be taken seriously.”

Recorder David Turner, QC, said Truelove took advantage of the help offered to him, “perhaps through boredom, perhaps through mischievousness”.

He said: “These are serious offences in the context of the present state of emergency.”

HMP Altcourse previously told the ECHO the phones were installed in cells to help rehabilitation by “strengthening support networks outside the prison”.

Dave Thompson, director of HMP Altcourse, said: “Prisoners can only dial approved numbers such as members of their family and we routinely monitor and record calls to ensure telephones are being used appropriately.

“Prisoners who abuse this opportunity to remain in contact with their families can expect to face sanction and as this case shows, further action through the courts.”

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Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/