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| Letter bombing caretaker jailed | |
| (21 minutes later) | |
| A primary school caretaker found guilty of carrying out a letter bomb campaign in which eight people were injured has been given an indeterminate sentence. | |
| Miles Cooper, 27, from Cambridge, sent seven letter bombs to addresses in England and Wales earlier this year, five of which exploded. | Miles Cooper, 27, from Cambridge, sent seven letter bombs to addresses in England and Wales earlier this year, five of which exploded. |
| Judge Julian Hall said Cooper must serve four years and 149 days before being eligible for parole. | Judge Julian Hall said Cooper must serve four years and 149 days before being eligible for parole. |
| He told Cooper: "You are a terrorist, there can be no mistake." | He told Cooper: "You are a terrorist, there can be no mistake." |
| Cooper did not contest that he sent the letters but denied intending to cause injury. | Cooper did not contest that he sent the letters but denied intending to cause injury. |
| He told Oxford Crown Court that he had been "concerned about the direction my country was heading in". | He told Oxford Crown Court that he had been "concerned about the direction my country was heading in". |
| He said that his aim was "ultimately to highlight my cause" and denied charges related to the seven letter bombs sent in January and February. | He said that his aim was "ultimately to highlight my cause" and denied charges related to the seven letter bombs sent in January and February. |
| The targets were three forensic science laboratories, a computer company, an accountancy firm, the DVLA and a residential address. | The targets were three forensic science laboratories, a computer company, an accountancy firm, the DVLA and a residential address. |
| Cause fear | Cause fear |
| The locations were Abingdon in Oxfordshire; Culham, near Abingdon; Birmingham; Folkestone, in Kent; Victoria in central London; Wokingham in Berkshire; and the DVLA offices in Swansea. | The locations were Abingdon in Oxfordshire; Culham, near Abingdon; Birmingham; Folkestone, in Kent; Victoria in central London; Wokingham in Berkshire; and the DVLA offices in Swansea. |
| During the four-day trial, Cooper told the jury his anger at the country's authorities had intensified when his father Clive was unable to have DNA samples removed from the police database, even though he had been cleared in 2003 of assault. | During the four-day trial, Cooper told the jury his anger at the country's authorities had intensified when his father Clive was unable to have DNA samples removed from the police database, even though he had been cleared in 2003 of assault. |
| "I felt my father had been used and I felt unable to do anything about it," he said. | "I felt my father had been used and I felt unable to do anything about it," he said. |
| Cooper had also earlier told the court the letters he sent containing explosive devices were intended to cause fear rather than harm. | Cooper had also earlier told the court the letters he sent containing explosive devices were intended to cause fear rather than harm. |
| They were sent, he added, to organisations he believed were connected to government control, surveillance and monitoring. | They were sent, he added, to organisations he believed were connected to government control, surveillance and monitoring. |