Three Lions pub Bristol: Neighbour admits making bomb hoax which led to huge police search

A neighbour to a pub in Bedminster has admitted making a bomb hoax which led to the closure of the business, and surrounding area, while police carried out a large search in response.

Michael Casey, who lives in a flat in Kingdom View which overlooks The Three Lions pub in West Street, Bedminster, pleaded guilty to the offence at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Monday (October 10).

The 39-year-old’s report to police, in which he said he’d left suspcious items at The Three Lions, led to a ‘major incident’ being called by police. The situation was downgraded later in the day before police confirmed no items had been found.

Casey was arrested and appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court yesterday. After admitting to the offence, he was remanded in custody to appear at Bristol Crown Court for sentencing on November 8.

In a statement, Avon and Somerset Polce said: “A man has pleaded guilty to a bomb hoax offence after calling police to say he’d left suspicious items at a pub in Bedminster.

“Michael Casey, 39, admitted one count of bomb hoax – communicate false information in relation to a call he made to police at 12.40pm on Sunday 9 October.

“People from The Three Lions pub and nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution and a 50m cordon put in place to allow specialist teams to conduct a comprehensive search of the area. Those searches ended that evening with no wider risk found.”

Following the incident, the landlord of The Three Lions, Sean Donnelly, said he thought it was a joke.

Speaking to the BBC, he told a reporter that he initially thought the situation was a joke. He added: “A police officer rang up and said we had to evacuate.

“Then all of a sudden the police stormed in and we all had to get out. They put drones up and sniffer dogs have gone in, and we’re waiting on an army sniffer dog to search the site.”