A serial bomb hoaxer who sparked an armed police response with his latest prank call has been jailed for 16 months.
Residents and staff of the hostel in Elm Grove he was living at were evacuated for three hours after Mark Wilkinson called police and said he had weapons and explosives.
Hove Crown Court was told that former serviceman Mark Wilkinson, 49, had struggled to find help for his alcoholism, which had led him to making a string of bomb hoaxes and even once setting fire to bins across Brighton and Hove.
But Judge Jeremy Gold QC said while he sympathised with the lack of support, he had to prioritise the safety of the public, and sent him to prison.
Judge Gold said he took into account Wilkinson’s situation, and the lack of available treatment.
But he said: “My principle concern is the safety of the public and preventing the harm you caused by this kind of drunken escapade which causes significant public concern and is a drag on police resources.
“You were given a chance a year ago when you were given a community order and yet here you are again and I must make it clear to you that an incident this kind is inevitably going to let to immediate custody.
“Ultimately, control of your life is in your hands. You must learn the lesson that this sort of behaviour is going to result in you going to prison.”
Prosecuting, Laura Hollingbery said that when Wilkinson called on 16 November last year, another man could be heard on the call.
When armed police arrived, the pair refused to open the door, and officers could hear someone inside saying “use the red key”.
The hostel, run by Cranmead and which houses vulnerable adults, was evacuated and a cordon thrown around it. As well as the armed response team, four PCSOs were called in to redirect traffic.
The second man soon left the room, but Wilkinson remained inside, pretending to be asleep.
Police eventually gained entry and Wilkinson was arrested. He initially made no comment, but the following day, he admitted making the call.
He was charged, and pleaded guilty the same day at Brighton Magistrates Court.
Ms Hollingbery said: The offence was committed a couple of days after the Liverpool bombing, and on Remembrance Sunday.
“Significant inconvenience was caused to both residents and staff.”
Defending, Mark Hamblin said Wilkinson had served eight tours of Afghanistan, but had struggled to find help once back in the UK.
He said: “This incident was a very sad decline of a man who served his country on many occasions, very bravely.
“He has fallen into a trap, which many of his colleagues have, of alcholism.
“He suffers from post traumatic stress disorder which isn’t surprising, given what he’s seen and what he’s gone through.
“When this man’s been drinking, he does ridiculous things which cause distress to other people.
“He understands what he does is completely wrong.”
Mark Wilkinson was jailed in December 2020 for starting a string of bin fires around Brighton to give him an excuse to call 999.
He had previously been spared prison after putting on a bad Irish accent to report bombs at Brighton Police Station in July 2019.
In June last year, he was given a community order for making another false report, which included a six-week overnight curfew at the hostel in Kemptown he was then living at – also run by Cranmead.
