Brazilian national Julian Valente Pereira, 33, was jailed for two-and-a-half years after leaving a fake stick of dynamite outside MI5 headquarters at Thames House in central London on New Year’s Day. The incident occurred on 1 January, just one day after Pereira received a Home Office deportation notice, and police treated the device as a potential threat, diverting resources amid London’s New Year parade.
Hoax Device at MI5
CCTV footage showed Pereira pushing documents relating to his immigration case through MI5 doors before throwing a brown cylinder onto the pavement. The object appeared to have a fuse attached, raising initial concerns about its authenticity.
Bomb Disposal Confirmation
A bomb disposal expert later confirmed the item was made from rolled A4 paper, brown masking tape, and string, proving it was a fake. Despite this, the police treated it seriously, mindful it could have been a diversion for another incident.
Background Immigration Dispute
Pereira arrived in the UK in 2018 with permission to work and later claimed asylum, which was eventually rejected. Prosecutor Shannon Revel said Pereira sought to gain “maximum attention” for his grievances against the Home Office through this act.
Court Verdict And Sentence
Convicted in February of placing an article with the intent to make others believe it would explode, Pereira was sentenced at the Old Bailey by Judge Mark Lucraft KC. The judge noted Pereira showed remorse and called his actions “foolish.” He added Pereira “may well” face deportation after serving his sentence.
