Gary Barnes sentenced to 14 months in prison for Tonacliffe Primary School bomb hoax

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Tonacliffe Primary School, Whitworth

Gary Barnes, 26, was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment at Burnley Crown Court on Monday (7 August) for making bomb hoax threats towards Tonacliffe Primary School.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/107709/gary-barnes-charged-after-tonacliffe-primary-school-bomb-threat

Appearing at Burnley Magistrates Court on 29 March, Barnes, of Westgate, Whitworth, pleaded guilty to two counts of communicating false information, for which he received 14 months imprisonment for the first count, with 14 months to run concurrently for the second count. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of offensive messages, for which he received one month in prison to run concurrently, and one month to run consecutively.

The charges relate to incidents at Tonacliffe Primary School on 9 and 13 December 2016 and 10 and 19 January 2017.

All pupils were evacuated from the school during the morning of 9 December, when shocked parents received a text asking them to pick up their children immediately without any mention of the incident. It also stated for parents to not call the school and that the school was closed.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/106776/tonacliffe-primary-school-evacuates-all-pupils-after-bomb-scare