A man arrived at the gates of Downing Street and claimed to have a bomb in his rucksack, a court has heard. Stephen Abbott, 59, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday over the alleged hoax incident on October 15 last year.
Court Proceedings
Abbott denied a single charge of communicating to police information he knew or believed to be false, with the intention of inducing a false belief. Prosecutor Rizwan Amin told the hearing that Abbott attended the gates shouting and protesting, made comments about former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and subsequently claimed to have a bomb in his rucksack.
Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring said the case was 'clearly not suitable for summary trial' due to its profile and sent it to the Old Bailey. Abbott's next hearing is scheduled for June 16.
Bail Conditions
Abbott, from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, was granted bail on the condition that he does not go within 100 metres of Downing Street. The court did not provide further details about the alleged protest or the nature of Abbott's comments about Tony Blair.
The incident has raised security concerns around Downing Street, but police have not commented on the specifics of the security response at the time. Abbott's defense team did not make a statement outside court.
