Man ‘threatened to blow up Middlesbrough College’ days after Manchester terror attack

A bomb hoax accused threatened to blow up Middlesbrough College and “kill all white people”, a jury heard.

Abass Gravand, 35, claimed he had a bomb in his bag while ranting at college security guards, Teesside Crown Court was told.

The Iranian made racial threats and talked of killing British soldiers in a tirade at the college days after the Manchester Arena terrorist attack, it was alleged today.

“He made threats that he had a bomb in his backpack,” said prosecutor Emma Atkinson.

“The defendant threatened that he had a bomb in his bag, he was going to blow up the college.”

Security officer Timothy Hoe said he had been told to look out for Gravand and remove his college ID after he had been using the shower facilities to wash his clothes.

He said he saw Gravand come into the college with a backpack and carrier bag at about 5.25pm on June 2.

He said Gravand became loud, angry and aggressive: “I asked him to leave the college. He started shouting and he said, ‘Do you want my bombs?’

“I said to him, ‘Are you for real? Are you being serious?’

“He just said, ‘I’ve got bombs.’ Then he started shouting he wanted to blow up Middlesbrough College, he wanted to kill all the white people, kill soldiers.

“Then he started saying, I can’t remember the date, back in 2000-whatever, he was killing British soldiers. That’s when we decided we had to get him away.

“We had a corridor full of children going to Gymworld. I was thinking of the Manchester thing.

“That’s all we thought, get him out of the building, get him away from everyone. He went for his backpack. He was refusing to leave.”

He said Gravand screamed the same threats against the college and white people during a struggle as they restrained him on the floor before police arrived.

“It was to immobilise him. He said he had something in his bag. I didn’t want him getting his backpack off.”

The single dad said he suffered a fractured elbow, had counselling since the incident and returned to work three weeks ago.

His colleague Peter Benson said Gravand was aggressive straight away when asked for his ID, swore at him, called him names referring to his colour and grabbed his top.

Mr Benson said he felt threatened and intimidated.

He told how Gravand held up his carrier bag and said he had a bomb.

“That’s when it escalated even more,” added Mr Benson. “He said he’s going to blow us all up… said he’d been killing our soldiers.”

He said they grabbed him to escort him out “because he was a threat, an immediate threat” when he put his hand on his rucksack.

He said he was sure of what he heard and was not mistaken.

Defence barrister John Turner said Gravand accepted he was irate, angry, aggressive and struggling.

But he denied making any of the alleged comments or mentioning bombs except once when he held up his carrier bag and said: “Look, I haven’t got any bombs.”

He suggested Gravand asked “do you want my balls?” and complained he was in pain and distress.

The security officers denied this and maintained their accounts.

Gravand was violent and aggressive with officers, his lawyer and a nurse afterwards, jurors heard.

Gravand, of Central Mews, central Middlesbrough, denies communicating false information with intent and racially aggravated use of threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause fear or provocation of violence.

Source: Gazettelive