2008 Exeter attempted bombing explained

2008 Exeter attempted bombing
Location:Exeter, Devon, England
Coordinates:50.7248°N -3.5267°W
Target:Princesshay shopping precinct
Date:22 May 2008
Time:12:50
Timezone:UTC+1
Fatalities:0
Injuries:1 (the bomber)
Weapon:Nail bomb
Perp:Nicky Reilly

The Exeter bombing was a failed bombing attempt that took place on 22 May 2008, at the Giraffe cafe and restaurant in Princesshay, Exeter, England. The bomber, Nicky Reilly (5 February 1986  - 19 October 2016[1]), 22, from Plymouth, who was the only person injured, pleaded guilty on 15 October 2008 to launching the attempted suicide attack.[2]

Attack

The attack took place at 12:50 while the bomber was inside a locked cubicle in the restaurant toilets. Witnesses in and around the restaurant reported hearing a loud bang. Most dismissed it, thinking the sound had come from a nearby building site. Another witness reported that it "sounded more like gunshots than a bomb, like a lightbulb exploding".[2] Police were immediately called to the scene and the restaurant was evacuated.

Evacuation

After the restaurant was evacuated, police evacuated and cordoned off the immediate area in fear of another device. This cordon was originally confined to the Princesshay area, but was later extended to cover the whole of the city centre, from the bottom of the High Street to Sidwell Street. Another device was found in the vicinity of the cafe, but was disabled by a bomb disposal team.[3]

Timeline

Thursday 22 May 2008

Friday 23 May

Saturday 24 May

Monday 26 May

Aftermath

The large cordon set up around the bomb site caused considerable disruption. Not only were shops along the High Street shut, but the city's main bus operator Stagecoach Devon had to re-route their buses causing traffic delays. The city's bus station was also evacuated.[10] It was many hours after the attack that the cordon, which had stretched to include Exeter's bus station, was reduced, and many roads surrounding the shopping centre re-opened On Friday, all shopsexcept the restaurant involvedwere re-opened as usual.[11] The incident was estimated to have cost the local economy approximately £2.5 million.[12]

Investigations

A team of about twenty specialists (including forensic officers, intelligence experts and detectives) from Scotland Yard's Counter Terrorism branch SO15, was brought in to help the Devon and Cornwall Police with their investigations.[4] Soon after the arrest police began searching the Muslim Community Centre in St Jude's, Plymouth.[13]

Arrests

Since the explosion in Exeter a total of four arrests were made in connection with the incident. Under the Terrorism Act 2006 a person arrested for terrorism offences can be detained in police custody for 28 days without being charged.[14]

Nicky Reilly

Nicky Raymond Reilly (later known as Mohamed Abdulaziz Rashid Saeed-Alim), aged 22, was born in Plymouth, where he lived with his mother, Kim. He had previously been detained in a mental health hospital.[15] It was subsequently reported that he had learning difficulties and Asperger's syndrome.[16] After his conversion to Islam, he changed his name[4] and came under the influence of Pakistani religious extremists,[17] who radicalised him into detonating the nail bomb in Exeter.[4] [18]

On 3 June 2008, he was charged with three offences, one under the Terrorism Act 2006 and a further two under the Explosive Substances Act 1883. He appeared before magistrates in a secure court in Westminster, London on 4 June 2008, and was remanded in custody.[19]

On 15 October 2008, Reilly pleaded guilty to charges of attempted murder and preparing a terrorist attack. Information released after his guilty plea revealed that Reilly was obsessed with martyrdom and wanted to cause as much death and injury as possible.[20] On 30 January 2009 Reilly was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years.[21]

On 20 October 2016, it was reported that Reilly—then 30 years old—had died at HMP Manchester.[16] On 7 November, an inquest into his death was opened and adjourned.[22] The inquest concluded in December 2018. It concluded that Reilly was found hanged from a light fitting in his cell and that it was likely that he acted impulsively without the intent to kill himself.[23]

Other arrests

On 23 May 2008, there was an evacuation of Plymouth city centre in which armed police arrested another person. A second individual was detained and helped police with their enquiries, but was later released.[6] [24] At 17:30 on 28 May 2008 a fourth man was detained for questioning.[13] One of the men detained under suspicion of being involved was Muslim preacher, Mansour Al-Anezi. Al-Anezi, who had been banned from preaching at his local Mosque following concerns by the local community due to his anti-Western views, was suspected of radicalising Reilly and was later associated with Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi.[25]

Notes and References

  1. News: Plymouth nail bomber Nicky Reilly has died. 20 October 2016. Plymouth Herald. 2017-05-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20161022090609/http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/plymouth-nail-bomber-nicky-reilly-has-died/story-29826908-detail/story.html. 22 October 2016. dead.
  2. News: Man held after city centre blast. 22 May 2008. BBC News. 2008-05-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20080526015629/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7415470.stm. 26 May 2008 . live.
  3. News: Explosion update: Forensic team study two devices. 23 May 2008. Express & Echo. 2008-05-25.
  4. News: Exeter bomb loaded with chemicals. 23 May 2008. BBC News. 2008-05-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20080526015644/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7416642.stm. 26 May 2008 . live.
  5. News: Pair still questioned over blast. 24 May 2008. BBC News. 2008-05-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20080526221739/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7418317.stm. 26 May 2008 . live.
  6. News: Area of city sealed off in bomb investigation. 23 May 2008. The Herald. 2008-05-26.
  7. News: Back in business after one terrible day. 24 May 2008. Express & Echo. 2008-05-26.
  8. News: Exeter blast suspect in custody. 26 May 2008. BBC News. 2008-05-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20080527114216/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7419982.stm. 27 May 2008 . live.
  9. News: 2PM update: Reilly out of hospital. 26 May 2008. Express & Echo. 2008-05-26.
  10. News: 3pm update: Bus station evacuated as cordon enlarged. 22 May 2008. Express & Echo. 2008-05-26.
  11. News: It's business as usual after city bomb explosion. 24 May 2008. Express & Echo. 2008-05-26.
  12. News: Explosion update: Cost to business estimated at £2.5M. 23 May 2008. Express & Echo. 2008-05-26.
  13. News: Third man quizzed over explosion. 28 May 2008. BBC News. 2008-05-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20080529163114/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7424769.stm. 29 May 2008 . live.
  14. Web site: Terrorism Act 2006. Home Office. 2008-05-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20080511202047/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security/terrorism-and-the-law/terrorism-act-2006/. 11 May 2008. dead.
  15. News: MI5 fears jihadis will use mentally ill as suicide bombers. 25 May 2008. The Times. 2008-05-26. London. David. Leppard. Abul. Taher.
  16. News: Exeter restaurant bomber Nicky Reilly dies in prison. 20 October 2016. BBC News. 20 October 2016.
  17. News: Bomber Nicky Reilly was brainwashed online by Pakistani extremists. Correspondent. Adam Fresco, Crime. 2008-10-16. The Times. London. 2018-12-30. en. 0140-0460.
  18. News: Blast suspect was 'radicalised'. 23 May 2008. BBC News. 2008-05-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20080526015634/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7415831.stm. 26 May 2008 . live.
  19. News: Man charged over Exeter explosion. 3 June 2008. BBC News. 2008-06-03.
  20. News: Man admits restaurant bomb attack. 15 October 2008. BBC News. 2008-10-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20081016155707/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7671138.stm. 16 October 2008. live.
  21. News: Nail-bomber given life sentence. BBC News. 30 January 2009. 23 January 2017.
  22. News: Official inquiry into death of Plymouth bomber Nicky Reilly gets under way. Plymouth Herald. 7 November 2016. 23 January 2017.
  23. Web site: Nicky Reilly 'didn't intend to kill himself' in jail. BBC News. 7 December 2018. 13 April 2019.
  24. News: Two quizzed over restaurant blast. 23 May 2008. BBC News. 2008-05-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20080526015649/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7417349.stm. 26 May 2008 . live.
  25. News: Manchester bomber friend known to MI5, BBC reveals. 28 February 2023. 28 February 2023. BBC News.

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