Johnny Martin secured suspended sentence in bomb hoax case

Suspended Sentence Secured in Bomb Hoax Case

Johnny recently represented a defendant charged with making a false report to police in relation to a bomb hoax which triggered a significant armed response. The defendant was also separately charged with possessing a bladed article in a public place.

The case was particularly complex due to the defendant’s significant mental health difficulties. He suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, learning disabilities, and recently, substance-induced psychosis. Despite these challenges, the defendant had made considerable efforts to address his drug and alcohol misuse and was making meaningful progress toward rehabilitation.

There are no specific sentencing guidelines for making a false report of a bomb hoax. Johnny submitted that the most analogous guidance was found in the ‘Communications Offences’ guideline, which provided a helpful framework to assist the court in determining a just and proportionate sentence.

Johnny successfully persuaded the court that, although the offences collectively crossed the custodial threshold, the defendant’s substantial personal mitigation warranted a suspended sentence. The court was urged to consider the positive strides the defendant had made, and the risk that immediate custody could undo that progress — potentially resulting in the loss of his accommodation, income, and support network, thereby increasing the risk of relapse.

The court agreed and imposed a sentence of 22 weeks’ custody, suspended for 18 months, together with a modest financial penalty in recognition of the defendant’s limited means.

Johnny was instructed by Dexter Henry of Dexter Henry & Co Solicitors. Johnny is regularly instructed in cases involving defendants with complex mental health needs.