Man threatened to blow up Telford bank in row over money
A man called 999 threatening to blow up a Telford bank after cashiers told him he was not able to withdraw more money.
Stephen Gregory Booth was also found to be carrying another person's prescription for methadone when he was arrested by police at Lloyds Bank in Madeley.
The 36-year-old of Hurleybrook Way, Leegomery, had already withdrawn £50 on the morning of June 14 to pay his gas and electric bills.
When he returned to his then home he was told his rent was due and so tried to return to the bank to make a further withdrawal.
When he arrived he was told he could not withdraw more money because of the bank's policy and at 3.15pm he called 999.
Abigail Hall, prosecuting, said he told the call handler that the bank would not give him more money and was told that it was not a police matter.
Miss Hall added: "He said: 'Get the police here now or I will blow the place up. My money is in there and they won't give it to me.'
"Due to the threats he made it did prompt a response from the police and five officers were deployed to Lloyds Bank.
"When police arrived he approached them and identified himself.
"He then took out a prescription bottle and attempted to drink from it.
"At Malinsgate Police Station it was established that the bottle was labelled methadone and that it was a prescription for someone else.
"The owner of the prescription was spoken to and said they gave the bottle to the defendant for safekeeping while they attended a mental health meeting.
Booth admitted one charge of possessing a Class A drug and one charge of making a malicious communication when he appeared at Telford Magistrates Court yesterday.
He was in breach of a conditional discharge handed to him in May of this year for breach of a non-molestation order.
Mike Surzon, for Booth, said he wanted the money to pay bills. He said: "It is a piece of absolute gross stupidity by my client.
"He didn't approach the events of that day in the way anyone else would have.
"He knew he had £75 in his account and whatever the bank's policy that money belonged to him.
"He wanted to try and grab somebody's attention so he said he was going to blow the place up."
For all the offences he was given an 18 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £100 plus a victim surcharge of £20.
There was no separate penalty for the breach of the previous conditional discharge.
