Courts / Dublin / Report

Community Service for man who had friend make hoax IS bomb call to avoid work

Date
2016-01-20

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Balbriggan

County
Dublin

Summary

Aaron O'Neill, 20, and his friend Colin Hammond, 21, were found guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of making a false bomb report on Bath Road, Balbriggan, on 13 January 2015. O'Neill had been drinking and taking tablets with Hammond when he decided he did not want to go to work the next day. He paid Hammond to call a pay‑phone outside Hammond's home, claiming an Islamic State bomb would detonate in 12 hours. The hoax caused a motorway closure, disrupted air‑traffic control and forced the evacuation of 300 Intel employees, preventing 4,000 staff from working. Both men had no prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan described Hammond as "profoundly stupid" and imposed 200 hours of community service in lieu of a two‑year sentence. Judge Melanie Greally later confirmed the order, giving O'Neill one year to complete the work. The case highlighted the serious disruption caused by the hoax call.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Community Service for man who had friend make hoax IS bomb call to avoid work. Charges or matters: making a false report on the Bath Road on January 13, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

January 13, 2015 Incident
2016-01-20 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 has been 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: At a sentencing hearing last November, Judge Nolan said he saw "no reason to depart from the same sentence" for O'Neill but adjourned the case to today to get a report from the Probation Service to see if he was suitable for community service. She was informed by Paul Carroll BL, prosecuting, that Judge Nolan had indicated that if the report was satisfactory he would order that O'Neill carry out 200 hours community service in lieu of a two year prison sentence.; At a sentencing hearing last November, Judge Nolan said he saw "no reason to depart from the same sentence" for O'Neill but adjourned the case to today 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