Ex-IT technician, 58, admits planting fake ‘bomb’ in rucksack containing eight bottles of Corona lager on Downing Street
- Toby Champeney, 58, planted bottles of Corona lager outside Downing Street
- He called the police to warn them a bomb was about to explode
- The former IT technician pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in December
A former IT technician has admitted to making a hoax bomb threat after leaving eight bottles of Corona lager in Downing Street near the Prime Minister’s official residence.
Toby Champeney, 58, planted the suspicious package on April 21.
He called police after abandoning the rucksack and warned them the bag was set to explode.
Prosecutors claim he intended to ‘provoke a reaction from police’ by announcing there was an explosive device inside.
Dressed in jeans and a black jumper, Champeney today admitted placing an article with intent of inducing the belief that said article is likely to explode or ignite thereby cause personal injury or damage to property.
Toby Champeney, 57, pictured above, today admitted to planting the rucksack and will be sentenced in December
Champeney, who has worked in the past as an IT technician for Fidelity Investments and Crunchbox Computers, earlier told the court: ‘There were eight bottles of Corona in my rucksack.’
In an earlier hearing at Westminster Magistrates’, he said he left the bottles as a ‘spiritual message’ to fight coronavirus.
Sentencing has been adjourned until December 4.
The rucksack was left near the Prime Minister’s official residence on Downing Street last April
Judge Deborah Taylor said: ‘I am going to adjourn sentence until 4 December, and a pre-sentence report is to be prepared including proposals for both a mental health order and a community mental health requirement after liasing with the doctors.’
Simon Gledhill, defending, said Champeney is no longer staying at a psychiatric hospital.
‘He has returned back to his temporary accommodation and has started to have contact with the crisis team with the view of them taking over his everyday care,’ said Mr Gledhill.
Champeney, of Dawes Road, Fulham, admitted placing an article with intent.
He was bailed ahead of sentence on condition he does not enter Whitehall and stays at an address designated by his doctor.