Man Fined £10,000 For Drunken Bomb Threat That Evacuated Soccer Stadium For 2 Days
A general view inside Elland Road Stadium ahead of the Carabao Cup match Leeds United vs Shrewsbury Town at Elland Road, Leeds, United Kingdom, 9th August 2023. (Photo by James Heaton/News Images/Sipa USA)
A man has been handed a nine-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of £10,000 after he made a phony bomb threat against the Leeds United football stadium.
Police were alerted in March when a pair of messages appeared on the club’s Instagram account. The first read: “Tuesday, April 4th, I have planted an improvised explosive.” A follow-up message ominously stated: “Have fun guys.”
The date coincided with Leeds’ next game against Nottingham Forest, at which around 36,700 fans were expected to be in attendance. Police temporarily shut down the stadium and commenced an investigation that led them to the culprit, Koli Boci, 21.
At Boci’s home, authorities found a copy of The Anarchist’s Cookbook, an infamous manual for civil disobedience that includes instructions for improved explosives and weaponry. Boci told police that he’d purchased the book as a teenager and kept it as a collection piece.
After searching his phone records and conducting a background check, police concluded that the threat was unsubstantiated. During an interview, Boci told authorities that he was out with friends when he posted the messages in a “drunken, misjudged attempt at humor.”
“It was an act of utmost stupidity by someone, only 20 at the time, who was immature and heavily in drink,” said James Littlehales, Boci’s lawyer, in court. “It shows the dangers of drink and social media taken together.
“He has no real explanation, except it was a very, very bad joke. It was simply a one-off moment of complete madness and one for which he is extremely remorseful.”
Boci has been sentenced to jail for nine months, suspended for 18 months and order to 200 hours of unpaid work. In addition, he must pay £10,000 in restitution to Leeds United.
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