Obsessive explosives fan who 'wanted to throw grenade on Jim'll Fix It' jailed for bedroom blast
Bedfordshire Police released home videos taken by Matthew Haydon, showing him experimenting with explosives.
A "dangerous" explosives enthusiast who once asked to throw a grenade on the children's TV show Jim'll Fix It has been jailed for causing a blast in his bedroom.
Matthew Haydon suffered injuries to his chest and hands in the explosion at the four-bedroom house in the Bedfordshire village of Sharnbrook on 10 April last year.
Afterwards Haydon, 48, told police of a longstanding interest in weaponry, citing his childhood request to the former BBC children’s show, which was presented by serial sexual abuser Jimmy Savile from 1975 to 1994.
He was jailed for four-and-a-half years with a four-year extended licence period at the Old Bailey on Friday.
Videos taken by Haydon and released by police showed him carrying out experiments in the countryside near Sharnbrook and in his home.
He can be seen tying home made explosive devices to trees and running away to avoid the detonation.
Haydon, who wore a waistcoat and shirt in the dock, was also made the subject of a criminal behaviour order, restricting him from creating explosives.
Sentencing him on Friday, Mr Justice Johnson described Haydon as “dangerous”.
“You have always had an obsession with explosives and explosions,” Mr Justice Johnson said.
“You synthesised high explosives which are extremely sensitive with extremely dangerous consequences.
“You knew the potential for these explosives to endanger life or property.
“In short, you are dangerous.”
Police attended the scene after being told about the incident by staff at the hospital where Haydon was being treated.
During a search of his home, officers discovered a makeshift laboratory which was found to contain more than 150 volatile chemicals and material consistent with producing explosive devices.
Detectives also found a number of documents on Haydon’s laptops which referred to the production of explosives and IEDs.
A review of his internet history revealed he had researched the "penalty for illegal possession of explosives", while videos recovered from his devices showed him testing explosives and chemical reactions in public areas as well as inside his home.
Haydon was arrested and charged with causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property.
During the trial at the Old Bailey in April this year, witnesses described seeing him "shooting targets in his garden and burning things on top of his fridge freezer in the garden".
Others reported seeing him in the woods dressed in "military uniform with a shooters belt kit".
Haydon will also be subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order indefinitely. The order will prevent him from creating explosive devices and acquiring or possessing chemicals used in the manufacturing of homemade explosives.
Det Insp Rich Stott said: “The explosion Haydon caused underscores the dangers of unlicensed handling of explosive materials.
“By his own admission, a residential bedroom is not the appropriate place for materials of this nature to be stored or experimented with.
"As such, Haydon has no one else to blame but himself. This was a dangerous obsession that quite easily could have taken his life and that of the people around him.
“The circumstances of this case serve as a stark reminder to the severe legal and physical consequences tied to such activities.”
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