Hoaxer who dialled 999 and warned of bomb at Sunderland Metro station is jailed

Ian Parkin, 39, of Norfolk Street, Sunderland city centre, told police they had just thirty minutes to clear the area.

They quickly established the call had been made from a public phone box in nearby Fawcett Street – and CCTV caught him on camera on Monday, September 6.

He was tracked down to his home and confessed all – and claimed “a vision” in his mind had made him do it, a court heard.

Parkin, who had been drinking cider at home, was also convicted of making malicious calls in 2017 and 2018, for which he was given a suspended prison term.

Magistrates in South Tyneside said his actions for his latest crimes had been “eminently reckless” – and jailed him for 12 weeks.

Prosecutor Glenda Beck said: “At about 3.50pm Northumbria Police received a call from a male who was using a telephone box in Fawcett Street.

“He had dialled 999 and had asked for the police. He said, ‘There’s a bomb at Sunderland Metro station. You’ve half an hour before the clock ticks.”

“The telephone box was quickly located as being in Fawcett Street, and civic centre cameras identified a male in grey clothes as entering.

“He was seen leaving the phone box at the time the call was made.

“Officers then attended his home address and explained that he matched the description.

“He said that he had made a call about a bomb on the Metro.

“He said that he had been out and had had a drink and had entered the phone box and this time had said, ‘There’s a bomb, you have 30 seconds’.

Parkin, whose actions did not lead to the station being avacuated, pleaded guilty to making a bomb hoax to police.

Syed Ahmed, defending, said: “This is a man who suffers from mental health issues.

“He had taken alcohol and drugs but has explained to me that he has no explanation why he did this.

“He says that when he takes alcohol, there’s a vision in his mind to indicate to him to make a phone call.”