Dangerous man caught in Blackpool with IEDs given 20-year sentence

Friday, August 23, 2024

A wanted man who caused an area of Blackpool to be cordoned off after being found with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) has been given a sentence totalling 20 years.

Around 2.50pm on 26^th November 2020 our officers were called to a property in Bolton Street following reports a man was behaving suspiciously.

They spoke to defendant Alan Murphy, who gave the false name Mark Walker. Suspicious, our officers carried out checks which revealed the man they were speaking to was Alan Murphy who was wanted for absconding from prison.

Enquiries revealed that Murphy was known for possessing firearms, so our officers asked him whether he had a gun. Murphy told officers he did and pointed towards his rucksack.

An initial search of the rucksack revealed what appeared on initial viewing to be a sawn-off shotgun.

Murphy then told officers there was also an IED in the bag under the gun, saying that he was “going to use it to blow up a bank” as he had "seen it on a TV show”.

Murphy was arrested and a cordon was put in place while Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians made the area safe.

Experts found that the improvised shotgun device was in fact a second IED.

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, 61-year-old Murphy of no fixed address was charged with the following:

• Possessing/controlling explosive with intent to endanger life/injure property
• 2 x possessing an imitation firearm in a public place
• Possessing knife blade/sharp pointed article in a public place.

He pleaded guilty to all the offences and was sentenced yesterday to 15 years immediate custody. Murphy was also given a further five years on extended licence after the Judge deemed him to be a dangerous offender.

Temp/DS Joe Isaacs, from West CID, said: “Murphy is very clearly a dangerous individual who had armed himself with devices which had the potential to cause significant harm to the public.

“Thanks to the support and information provided from the general public and other emergency services – added to the good inquisitive police work of the officers who attended the scene – Murphy was detained before he could do any significant harm.”