‘Dangerous’ man obsessed with explosives jailed for causing blast at family home

A “dangerous” antheral obsessed with explosives, who erstwhile asked to propulsion a grenade connected BBC children’s amusement Jim’ll Fix It, has been jailed for causing an detonation astatine his household home.

Matthew Haydon suffered injuries to his thorax and hands successful the blast astatine the four-bedroom location successful the Bedfordshire colony of Sharnbrook connected April 10 past year.

Afterwards Haydon, 48, told constabulary of a longstanding involvement successful weaponry, citing his puerility petition to the erstwhile BBC children’s show, which was presented by serial intersexual abuser Jimmy Savile from 1975 to 1994.

He was jailed for 4 and a fractional years with a four-year extended licence play astatine the Old Bailey connected Friday.

Haydon, who wore a waistcoat and garment successful the dock, was besides made the taxable of a transgression behaviour order, restricting him from creating explosives.

Sentencing him connected Friday, Mr Justice Johnson described Haydon arsenic “dangerous”.

“You person ever had an obsession with explosives and explosions,” Mr Justice Johnson said.

“You synthesised precocious explosives which are highly delicate with highly unsafe consequences.

“You knew the imaginable for these explosives to endanger beingness oregon property.

“In short, you are dangerous.”

Mr Justice Johnson told the tribunal Haydon’s obsession with explosives and explosions has continued portion helium has been successful prison, with notes and drawings of them recovered successful his cell.

The justice said helium considered it indispensable to enforce the extended condemnation to “protect members of the nationalist from superior harm”.

During the trial, the tribunal heard Haydon said helium had been “researching” explosives aft being affected by what had happened astatine an Ariana Grande concert, successful an evident notation to the Manchester Arena termination bombing.

He was recovered blameworthy by a bulk of causing an detonation apt to endanger beingness oregon spot this April.

Previously, authoritative Margia Mostafa said the suspect had lived with his parent astatine the household location of 45 years.

His mother, who had been distant for the weekend, returned location connected April 10 2023 and heard a large bang from Haydon’s location laboratory, jurors heard.

Haydon was shouting “help me, assistance me”, having suffered burns and bleeding.

The tribunal was told that Haydon’s parent enactment him successful the ablution to relieve the injuries and called 999.

His parent told the relation Haydon’s hands were “mangled”, the tribunal heard.

Neighbours besides heard a large thudding boom, felt their location shingle and saw that the defendant’s model had smashed, jurors were told.

After being treated successful hospital, Haydon was interviewed by constabulary and admitted causing the explosion, the tribunal heard.

He said: “I don’t judge it was malicious. It was an accident. It wasn’t an intended detonation.”

He said helium had ever been “obsessed with each kinds of weaponry, explosives successful particular”.

“I deliberation I wrote disconnected to Jim’ll Fix It to inquire if I could propulsion a manus grenade,” helium said.

He told officers helium was “researching astir explosives” due to the fact that of “what happened astatine the Ariana Grande concert”.

He said it had affected him “quite badly”, adding: “It upset me, yeah.”

The suspect besides told constabulary helium had issues related to attraction shortage hyperactivity upset (ADHD).

Police searched his location laboratory and seized chemicals, equipment, physics devices and handwritten notes, jurors heard.

On his laptop were instructions for explosives, and determination was grounds that helium had bought chemicals online, the tribunal was told.

Jurors were shown footage of Haydon carrying retired assorted experiments with explosives, which were recovered connected a camera.

In 1 video, Haydon was heard commenting connected a passing canine walker earlier detonating a instrumentality strapped to a tree.

A fewer days earlier the blast successful his house, Haydon had messaged a interaction astir an incidental successful which his “life flashed successful front” of him.

He wrote: “I was making a liquid expl & inactive processing champion signifier etc and enactment a wee tad excessively overmuch sulphuric acerb successful to accelerated and it erupted to the ceiling successful flames!!! …. Sum1 upder is looking aft maine antheral I swear!!! (sic)”

Samples of chemicals seized from the location were recovered to see delicate precocious explosives triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD).

Damage to Haydon’s T‐shirt and an orangish mitt helium had been wearing showed helium had been successful “close proximity” to the explosion, the tribunal heard.

Chemical investigation of samples taken from the covering indicated that HMTD was the explosive charge.

Haydon accepted helium had mixed chemicals which caused an explosion, but disputed that the level of explosive utilized was capable to endanger beingness oregon property.

Giving evidence, helium told jurors helium had been “complacent” and should person worn protective clothing.

He said: “If you don’t springiness that substance the respect it is owed it volition crook astir and wound you. And that’s what happened – I got complacent.”

Haydon, of Loring Road, Sharnbrook, showed nary emotion arsenic helium was sentenced.

Detective Inspector Rich Stott of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit antecedently said: “Haydon had developed an obsession with explosives, and helium was making his ain highly delicate explosive substances.

“These substances are inherently unsafe and are not produced commercially owed to the hazard they present.

“He had already had galore adjacent misses but continued to effort to marque the substances and to origin tiny explosions.

“Haydon was afloat alert of the hazard that a larger detonation could instrumentality place. Furthermore, this could person been truthful overmuch worse, helium was fortunate to person not caused much harm to himself, his parent and neighbouring properties.

“I would similar to convey each the exigency responders and specializer teams who deployed to woody with this incidental and the probe squad who has worked truthful hard connected this analyzable investigation.”