Courts / Dublin / Report

Man asked friend to make hoax "Islamic State" bomb call to Intel because he didn't want to go to work

Date
2015-11-24

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Balbriggan

County
Dublin

Summary

Aaron O'Neill, 20, and his friend Colin Hammond, 21, both from Balbriggan, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making a false bomb report on Bath Road on 13 January 2015. O'Neill, after drinking and taking tablets, decided he did not want to go to work the next day and paid Hammond to call 999 from a payphone outside Hammond's home, claiming an Islamic State bomb threat at Intel. The hoax caused a motorway closure, disrupted air traffic control and prevented 4,000 Intel staff from working, costing the company an estimated 6,000 production hours. Judge Martin Nolan described the plan as "profoundly stupid" and ordered Hammond to serve 200 hours of community service instead of a two‑year sentence. O'Neill's case was adjourned to January for a probation report to determine suitability for community service. No prior convictions were recorded for either man.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man asked friend to make hoax "Islamic State" bomb call to Intel because he didn't want to go to work. Charges or matters: making a false report on the Bath Road on January 13, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

January 13, 2015 Incident
2015-11-24 Publication

Why: Photo: Collins) A former sub-contractor for Intel who asked his friend to make a hoax bomb call to the company because he didn't want to go work may be ordered to carry out community service. CNI source report

Case subjects

Aaron O'Neill

Defendant

Charges: making a false report on the Bath Road on January 13, 2015 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Photo: Collins) A former sub-contractor for Intel who asked his friend to make a hoax bomb call to the company because he didn't want to go work may be ordered to carry out community service. Today Judge Nolan said he saw "no reason to depart from the same sentence" for O'Neill but adjourned the case to January to get a report from the Probation Service to see if he was suitable for community service.; Today Judge Nolan said he saw "no reason to depart from the same sentence" for O'Neill but adjourned the case to January to get a report from the Probation Service to see if he was suitable for community service.

Colin Hammond

Defendant

Charges: making a false report on the Bath Road on January 13, 2015 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Today Judge Nolan said he saw "no reason to depart from the same sentence" for O'Neill but adjourned the case to January to get a report from the Probation Service to see if he was suitable for community service.