Bomb hoax teen admits telling school: "You have 24 minutes to evacuate"
A 14-year-old from the Black Country who made a hoax bomb call to a school was told by magistrates she only avoided custody because of her age.
The teenager phoned a school on January 28 and said 'you have 24 minutes to evacuate' after being 'egged on by a friend' to make the threat, a court heard.
The school was evacuated following the phone conversation and police were called, Sandwell magistrates were told.
The call was made amid a number of unrelated bomb hoaxes at schools across Sandwell – including Tipton, Wednesbury, West Bromwich and Oldbury – in the past month. Schools in Birmingham and Halesowen have also been targeted.
Standing before the court with her mother yesterday, the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, choked back tears as she apologised for her 'stupid' behaviour, saying that she 'immediately regretted' making the call after putting the phone down.
The girl, from West Bromwich, pleaded guilty to communicating false information about a bomb hoax.
The teenager was given a 10-month referral order and ordered to pay £135 court costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
Speaking to magistrates she said: "My friend egged me on to make the call and I was scared that if I didn't she would hit me.
"I want to say how sorry I am and that I will never do anything stupid like that again. I will choose my friends more wisely."
Her mother tearfully added: "I am not going to excuse what she has done, but you always support your kids because you're their mom. She doesn't cause me any trouble at home but she has really let me down."
Chair of the bench, Pastor Richard Brookes, spoke about how serious the matter was. He said: "Perhaps it should be said that the only reason you are not being locked up today is because of your age.
"You clearly need help, so this order is not to directly punish you but for you to learn from your actions. It was a dreadful thing that caused a huge amount of inconvenience, fear and money to emergency services. Lots of people and families were affected – it was a ripple effect," he added.
Mrs Jennifer Windsor, prosecuting, said the evacuation of pupils caused panic.
Mr Gerrard Vahey, defending, said: "There was no motive for her call and she expressed genuine regret. She has been working alongside youth workers to help her with this matter as well."
