Sunderland Man Jailed for Hoax 999 Railway Station Bomb Threat

A Sunderland man has been jailed for dialling 999 and making a hoax bomb threat against the city railway station.

Ian Parkin, 39 of Norfolk Street in the City Centre, had called the police from a public phone box in Fawcett Street and said that there was a bomb in the station and they had 30 minutes to clear the area.

However, CCTV was able to capture his use of the phone and based on his description, police got their man.

Parkin was jailed for 12 weeks, after claiming that a “vision in his mind” prompted him to make the call.

However, it is not the first time he had made such phone calls. Parkin holds a previous conviction for similar calls made in 2017 and 2018, of which he received a suspended sentence.

His defence at court noted that he had “mental health issues” and was under the influence of drugs and alcohol.