6th July 2009
An anti-airport protester who sent a series of bomb hoaxes and threats to Gatwick Airport in West Sussex over five-years has been jailed.
Gary Collins, from Crawley, took direct action against aircraft noise after suffering from noise disturbance as a young child, Lewes Crown Court heard.
He admitted 34 counts of communicating false information and three counts of sending hoax noxious substances.
The 57-year-old was jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Judge Michael Lawson QC told Collins he remained a danger, and said: “Airports are particularly vulnerable to that sort of attack because they are responsible for the safety of thousands of people at any one time.
“Therefore, members of the staff, the police and other enforcement agencies are responsible for investigating every one of those warnings.”
He added: “You, in your interview with the probation service, indicated that it was deliberate and that you were not sorry for what you had done.
“You were sorry that you got caught and that if you could do it again without being caught, you would.”
The court heard his campaign was carried out during the London terror attacks in 2005, during heightened security at airports in 2006, and the attack at Glasgow Airport in 2007.
Prosecuting, Dale Sullivan said his letters and packages were sent marked as anthrax or biological material.
Others stated there were bombs in aircraft toilets or buildings.
‘Airport fixation’
Mr Sullivan said: “The impact on [airport operator] BAA was a serious one as they were not threats they could simply brush off.”
Defence counsel Andrew Stephens said Collins had little to do with his family and had only ever had sporadic periods of employment.
He said: “He fixated upon Gatwick Airport. He suffers from noise, noise at Gatwick in particular became too much for him to bear.
“He should have sought other avenues, like petitioning his MP. He chose to take a direct stance.
“Although an extremely long-standing campaign, it was a naive and unsophisticated campaign.”
He added: “This is a 57-year-old man who has led a difficult life, a life which from the very outset has gone against him.”
After the hearing, Det Sgt Steve Luxford said the term reflected “the severity and potential impact this had on the airport”.
He said the threats continued during a time of significant terrorist activity.
“This was a long-running campaign by an individual against the running of Gatwick Airport with an intention to disrupt and terrorise people,” he added.