Student admits to bomb hoax on easyJet flight at Gatwick airport

Muhammet Demir awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to making false claims that bomb was on plane bound for Turkey

 

 

 

 

The bomb hoax at Gatwick caused an easyJet flight to Izmir in Turkey being delayed for several hours. Photograph: Roger Bamber/Alamy

A student has admitted falsely claiming that an explosive was on a Turkish-bound flight at Gatwick airport.
Muhammet Demir, 20, called police saying a bomb was on an easyJet flight due to fly to Turkey just before 4.30pm on 9 September.
At that time the only easyJet plane to the Turkish port city of Izmir that day was taxiing on the runway with 170 passengers on board.
It had to be recalled to a remote stand where it was met by armed police at the airport in West Sussex before being given the all-clear.
The hoax resulted in the flight being delayed for three hours, Sussex police said. An all-forces alert was sent to police countrywide about Demir.
He was eventually arrested as he tried to board a flight to Luton airport. The Turkish national admitted what he had done but refused to divulge to police his reasons for carrying out the hoax.
At Brighton magistrates court on Saturday, he pleaded guilty to communicating a false message to cause a bomb hoax and was remanded in custody to be sentenced at a crown court on a date to be fixed.
Detective Inspector Andy Richardson said: "Fortunately we were able to quickly identify that this was a hoax call but it still caused considerable worry for airport and airline staff and passengers.
"Anyone considering making malicious calls of this nature should think long and hard about the consequences. We investigate fully all claims and threats like this and will not rest until we find those responsible.
"Making hoax calls not only wastes the time and money of members of the public and the emergency services but also delays us from responding to genuine emergencies.