CCTV Captures Man Leaving Fake Stick of Dynamite Outside MI5 HQ After Failed Asylum Attempt
In a dramatic incident that triggered a terror alert, CCTV footage has captured the moment a failed asylum seeker left a fake stick of dynamite outside the headquarters of MI5 in central London. The event unfolded at Thames House, the secret services base, on January 1, just one day after Julian Valente Pereira, a 32-year-old Brazilian national, was informed he would be deported from the UK.
Details of the Protest and Hoax
The video shows Pereira, who claims to have schizophrenia, first stuffing paperwork related to his immigration case through the doors of the building. He then retrieves the "dynamite" from his bag, initially throwing it to the pavement. The CCTV operator zooms in to reveal what appears to be a fuse hanging from the top of a brown cylinder, heightening concerns.
Pereira is seen moving the object and propping it against the MI5 HQ doors, with a green cigarette lighter positioned nearby. This prompted the deployment of a counter-terrorism bomb expert, who later discovered the device was a hoax—crafted from rolled-up A4 paper, brown masking tape, and string.
Legal Proceedings and Motives
After a trial at City of London Magistrates' Court, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring found Pereira guilty of carrying out a bomb hoax. The judge concluded that Pereira intended for observers to believe the device was real, aiming to draw "maximum attention" to his complaints against the Home Office.
Prosecutor Shannon Revel stated that Pereira admitted his actions were designed to highlight his long-running failed asylum bid. "No-one was going to pay attention to this act if they thought it was masking tape and paper. The attention he desperately wanted on January 1 is only achieved by the fact that someone believed that object could explode," she said.
Background and Additional Incidents
Pereira came to the UK with permission to work in July 2018 but has remained illegally since February 2019. The court heard that he had also visited Buckingham Palace, where he threw a bag containing a copy of an immigration ruling and a knife stabbed through his ID inside the perimeter gates. In messages read during the trial, Pereira told a friend of his plans, including intentions to "get attention" and "see the King."
He was arrested at an asylum hotel in Uxbridge, west London, and told officers about his "long and tireless battle with the Home Office." Pereira made allegations of corruption within the department and claimed illegal immigrants are employed there, describing the system as "squalor."
Mental Health and Sentencing
During his police interview, Pereira revealed he has schizophrenia and has been hearing voices. He denied the bomb hoax charge, but the judge has ordered reports on his mental health and risk of reoffending. Pereira has been remanded into custody until sentencing on April 1, with the possibility of jail time or transfer to the Crown Court for sentencing.
This incident underscores the tensions surrounding asylum processes and the extreme measures some individuals resort to when facing deportation. The released footage by the Crown Prosecution Service serves as a stark reminder of the security challenges faced by authorities in London.
