A KNUTSFORD man who caused a bomb squad callout and 110 homes to be evacuated was just ‘absorbed in his chemistry hobby’, a court heard.
Ashlea Henderson was arrested along with five relatives after police used a drugs warrant to raid his Longridge family home at 7am on Monday, November 27, last year.
Officers found a makeshift chemistry lab in his bedroom, including 21 different chemicals both in and out of their containers, along with a range of equipment.
As the chemicals were unknown, police put a 100-metre cordon around the house and evacuated 110 households to an emergency reception centre at Knutsford Leisure Centre.
They also called in the bomb squad, who took more than seven hours to ensure it was safe for residents to go back to their homes.
Henderson’s relatives were all released, but he was charged with two counts of possessing prohibited substances, hydrochloric and sulphuric acids, without a licence.
The 29-year-old pleaded guilty to both offences on Wednesday, November 29, at Chester Magistrates Court, and was bailed to return on January 9 pending a pre-sentence report from the Probation Service.
At his sentence hearing, prosecutor, Jessica Pridding, said police received reports Henderson had obtained ‘a list of hazardous chemicals’ over the previous two months, which could be used to manufacture the class A drug methamphetamine – sometimes called ‘crystal meth’.
He gave a ‘no comment’ interview when questioned, she added.
Defending, Callum Starr said Henderson had become ‘absorbed in his chemistry hobby’ as a means of coping with his mum’s death last year, and his experiments had ‘absolutely no malicious intent’.
Mr Starr accepted Henderson had ‘amassed too many restricted chemicals’ but questioned the practice of the of wholesaler who sold them to him without a licence before reporting him to the police.
In terms of the disruption to residents, Mr Starr said he doubted the scale of the police presence in Longridge on November 27 was necessary, calling it 'an overreaction'.
He added: “The court will be pleased to learn my client has given up chemistry, and has taken up baking instead."
Henderson was handed a 12-month community order by magistrates, including 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and a six-month mental health treatment requirement.
He will also have to pay a £250 fine, £120 court costs, and a £114 victim surcharge.
They also ordered the acids to be destroyed.
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