A Mansfield man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after attempting to blow up his own flat to get ‘revenge’ on his neighbour.
Paul McCormack, 40, of no fixed address, purposely caused a gas leak in his home on Shirland Drive with the intention of causing an explosion that would injure his neighbour, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
The incident occurred on Monday, April 22, 2013 and McCormack was found guilty at a trial in December 2014.
He was handed an extended sentence of 15 years, comprising a custodial term of 10 years and an extension period on license of five years.
The court heard how on the day of the incident, McCormack left his old flat in Shirland Drive, Mansfield, to attend the first day of a trail for assaulting a man living in his block a year earlier.
Tampered with boiler
It was prior to leaving home that McCormack is believed to have tampered with the boiler, causing gas to escape into his flat and ultimately the rest of the block.
He locked the flat up and, after a day in court, stayed at his sister’s house overnight. The following day, McCormack was found guilty of assault and was sent to prison.
“We believe McCormack undid boiler fittings in a bid to cause an explosion,” said Sergeant Andy Doran from Mansfield South Neighbourhood Policing Team, who investigated the case.
“Angry at going to prison, we suspect he wanted to injure his neighbour in a fit of revenge.
“McCormack was reckless and failed to think about the safety of others. We are pleased that he is going to prison for such a substantial time – his actions could have had catastrophic results.”
The only keys to the flat were in McCormack’s possession, as he had recently changed the locks.
By the morning of Thursday, April 25, gas could be smelt coming from McCormack’s address and the council and gas company were called to turn the supply off from the street.
“We suspect he wanted to injure his neighbour in a fit of revenge.”
Sergeant Andy Doran, Mansfield South Neighbourhood Policing Team.
With no keys, attending officers had to break into the flat, which is when they found the source of the gas leak – a newly fitted boiler that had been deliberately tampered with.
The court ordered McCormack to pay a £120 victim surcharge, his sentence will run concurrent to his current sentence for assault.
