'To all Christians in Wellington – sweet dreams' - Jail for man who wanted to 'stir up racial tensions' with fake bomb

Autistic Alister Taylor constructed the fake bomb using an aerosol can, copper wiring and part of a CD drive, tied together by black shoelaces and covered with rags.

The 20-year-old left the device near the entrances to Wellington Medical Practice and the town's bus station with a chilling note: "To all Christians in Wellington – sweet dreams".

His actions caused Victoria Road in Wellington to be sealed off and bomb disposal units called after the "suspicious package" – which was eventually found to be completely harmless – was taken to the nearby police station by a member of the public.

Taylor, of Victoria Avenue, Wellington, had already pleaded guilty to placing an article with intent causing the belief that it was likely to explode or ignite, causing damage to persons or property.

He appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday to be sentenced.

• Pictures and video: Fake bomb deliberately planted to bring fear to Telford

But despite pleas from his defence counsel that Taylor, who also suffers from ADHD and dyspraxia, should be spared a jail term because he was not aware of the seriousness of what he was doing, Judge Peter Barrie jailed him for 20 months.

Mr Gerard Quirke, prosecuting, said a street cleaner working for Telford & Wrekin Council came across the device at about 6am on July 10 last year.

He said he put it on the back of his van and drove it slowly to Wellington police station where he handed it in.

The prosecutor said: "Police attended the scene, officers fairly rapidly found it was not harmful and it was a hoax bomb.

"Taylor initially said he had built the device from his imagination to look like a bomb and then put it away in a cupboard.

"He said he had held a party at his flat on July 3 and July 4 and claimed someone must have taken it out of the cupboard and left it in the street with the note.

"But police checked CCTV of the flat and Taylor was not even there, let alone entertaining guests. Other CCTV showed him carrying the bomb," Mr Quirke added.

The court heard Taylor had never expressed any religious views but did have a swastika in the window of his flat for a while.

Mr Paul Smith, for Taylor, said a psychological report outlined the difficulties his client had and claimed he did not understand the impact his actions had on others. "There isn't any alerting call about a bomb," Mr Smith went on.

"The CCTV shows the defendant arriving in the area on a skateboard after the street has been closed off, and then shows him skating away again.

"I wouldn't call it child-like, but there is certainly a lack of sophistication."

Judge Barrie, sentencing Taylor, told him he had an "unhealthy fascination" with military matters.

"In July last year you deliberately made something to look like a bomb," the judge said.

"You deliberately took it and left it in a street in Wellington where any passers-by might come across it. You attached to it a note.

"It seems to be clear to me that the purpose of this was in some way to stir up trouble.

"It didn't succeed, because of the good sense of the people who came across the item you left behind.

"Of course it was a fake, as we know now. But I think this was serious behaviour, and there has to be an an element of deterrence with the sentence I impose.

"The note about Christians, with an apparently explosive device, left in a road likely to be used by people going to and from the mosque, was designed to stir up racial tension in the community.

"It didn't succeed, because of the good sense of the people who came across the item you left behind."