A man was sentenced to jail for a deliberate bomb threat made to a synagogue shortly after a terror incident in Manchester. Markel Ible, aged 32, placed a hoax call to Sinai Synagogue in Roundhay, Leeds, warning of an explosive device set to detonate the next day. Prosecutors emphasized the call was meant to instill panic and fear, occurring just four days after the tragic attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Synagogue in Manchester.
Following the attack in Manchester where Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, lost their lives and three others were injured, Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, drove his car into worshippers on Yom Kippur, then proceeded to attack with a knife and attempt to breach the synagogue.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) swiftly charged Ible from St Martins Gardens, Leeds, the day after the threatening call. He confessed to the hoax on October 8, leading to his immediate remand in custody. Subsequently, he received a 10-month prison sentence at Leeds Crown Court.
Ann Graham, the senior crown prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, commented on Ible’s actions, highlighting the intended disruption and fear caused, especially coming directly after the Manchester tragedy. Dave Rich, representing the Jewish charity Community Security Trust (CST), praised the CPS for taking the incident seriously, condemning Ible’s call as a heartless and premeditated act that further distressed an already vulnerable community.