Anti-vax bomb hoaxer, 66, is jailed for 21 months after sparking the mass evacuation of a school and NHS major incident after targeting Covid vaccine facilities
- Anti-vaxxer Rodney Stuart Peasley, 66, staged a campaign of hoax terrorism
- He called in hoax bomb threats against a school and vaccination centre in Truro
- Life-saving Covid vaccines helped to decrease the UK’s death rate massively
- Peasley pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage and was jailed for 21 months
An anti-vaxxer who carried out a series of bomb hoaxes against a school and an NHS centre and repeatedly vandalised a Covid-19 vaccination tent was jailed this week.
Rodney Stuart Peasley, 66, caused the evacuation of a secondary school and sparked a major NHS incident as part of his hoax terrorism targeting people promoting life-saving Covid vaccines.
The bomb hoaxer also slashed the tent of a vaccination centre set up by a GP surgery and sprayed graffiti on it that read, ‘No Vax 4 Kids’.
Peasley, of Scorrier, Cornwall, was sentenced to 21 months in jail at Truro Crown Court on Friday.
Rodney Stuart Peasley, 66, (pictured) carried out a series of bomb hoaxes against a school and an NHS centre and repeatedly vandalised a Covid-19 vaccination tent
He pleaded guilty to four counts of criminal damage between October and November last year, as well as making three bomb hoax threats on November 19.
Covid vaccines reduce the likelihood of people dying from the virus and have helped reduce the UK’s death rate massively.
The court heard Richard Lander School in Truro was evacuated after Peasley left a voicemail and suggested to a receptionist there were explosive devices within the school.
It was heard that the school had been due to give Covid vaccinations to students.
The anti-vaxxer then went called Kernow Health, also in Truro, which was responsible for the administration of Covid vaccinations in the area.
Peasley claimed there were multiple bomb devices planted on service vehicles that would detonate randomly over the following hour.
Richard Lander School (pictured) in Truro was evacuated after anti-vaxxer Peasley left a voicemail and suggested to a receptionist there were explosive devices within the school
This call was also taken seriously, leading to a number of NHS venues locking down and the NHS and police declaring a major incident.
Peasley was later tracked down by police through his mobile phone number and arrested.
The court heard in addition to bomb threats, Peasely was filmed on CCTV damaging a marquee at Mount Hawke surgery being used for Covid vaccination clinics.
This happened on four separate occasions between October and November 2021, causing total damage worth £16,000.
He slashed sections of the marquee, sprayed graffiti, set off a smoke pellet and spray painted CCTV cameras.
Robin Smith, defending Peasley, said the defendant did not see himself as an ‘anti-vaxxer’ and claimed he been concerned with the safeguarding of young people for decades.
The court heard in addition to bomb threats, Peasely was filmed on CCTV damaging a marquee at Mount Hawke surgery being used for Covid vaccination clinics. Pictured: Richard Lander School, Truro
Mr Smith said: ‘He is against the unilateral, uninformed, mass vaccination of young people, without them and their parents being given information.
‘This is a man who genuinely and sincerely cares about the safety and wellbeing of young people.’
He said Peasley had written to both the school and Kernow Health apologising for his actions a few days after the bomb threats.
Sentencing Peasley, Judge Garnham said: ‘It is clear to me [the criminal damage] was part of a coordinated attack on premises involved in the vital work of providing Covid vaccinations to the people of Cornwall.
‘Bomb threats are a pernicious type of offence. They cause ordinary people going about their ordinary, lawful activities to be put in fear for their lives.
‘Here it is all the more serious because it involved a school and those in the provision of healthcare.’
However, he noted the bomb hoaxer’s ‘genuine remorse’ and his early guilty pleas, which reduced his sentence.
Peasley was sent to prison for 20 months for each bomb hoax, to run concurrently, with a further one month for each criminal damage offence, again to run concurrently to each other but in in addition to the first sentence.
This amassed to a total of 21 months in prison, half of which will be spent behind bars and the rest on licence.
Source: Read Full Article
