Man jailed after bomb hoax at Newcastle supermarket

A man has been jailed after he planted a fake bomb in a Newcastle supermarket to avoid being arrested for shoplifting.

James McDonnell, 54, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after admitting the bomb hoax in the city centre.

A court was told how he had entered the Tesco supermarket on Clayton Street at about 11am, on January 15 this year.

CCTV cameras caught him stealing bottles of alcohol and putting them in a black rucksack. He tried to flee the store but was stopped by security staff. It was then that he claimed he had left an explosive device in the shop.

Staff searched the aisles and uncovered a mobile phone with a number of wires coming out of it that were connected to a mysterious box. They immediately contacted the police and evacuated the store as a precaution.

McDonnell was taken into custody while police established the device was a fake.

McDonnell, who has 41 previous convictions, was later charged with shoplifting and placing a bomb hoax with intent.

He admitted the offences and was jailed for 15 months at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday morning.

Chief Inspector Steve Wykes, who covers Newcastle city centre for Northumbria Police, today praised the response of store staff.