Bomb joke at Edinburgh Airport lands student in court
03.03.06
A university student who joked that there was a bomb in his girlfriend's luggage at Edinburgh Airport after being warned not to leave it unattended was in court yesterday. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court George Nikolaidis, 21, was found guilty of committing a breach of the peace.
Nikolaidis said he had been irritated by the officious attitude of the staff member who spoke to him and had reacted to this. He was sentenced to carry out 100 hours of community service work.
The court heard how he made the comment while meeting his Italian girlfriend Andrea Zolletti at the airport at 21:30 on 22 June last year. British Midlands Customer Service Agent Nicola Gunn, 34, spotted the Edinburgh University student with Miss Zolletti in a public area near domestic arrivals. During a short trial, she told the court that when she warned him not to leave his bag unattended, he replied 'yes, because I have a bomb in it'.
Gunn immediately contacted her manager who alerted the airport police. She said: 'It is a major security breach in the airport to say you have a bomb. I felt alarmed and was not willing to take any risks.'
Constable Iain Lancastle said he asked the English literature honours student if he had made the comment and he replied, 'yes, I am sorry'. Nikolaidis was arrested and taken away in handcuffs to be interviewed.
Nikolaidis said that when he made the sarcastic comment had been irritated by Miss Gunn's officious attitude and responded with the flippant remark which had not been intended as a threat.
Defence agent John Good argued that the comment had been ill-considered but not criminal.
However fiscal depute Jane Spark said: 'In relation to the current climate of terrorism threats, any person would have been alarmed at that comment. If it had been a joke made in a private flat that would have been entirely different but when it is made in an airport it has a serious effect on security.'
Sheriff Nigel Morrison, QC, said: "In the current climate, an offence like this has to be treated seriously." He found Nikolaidis guilty of breaching the peace by falsely stating that he had a bomb and today ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work for the community.
To book edinburgh airport hotel or airport parking edinburgh at the lowest price, click on these links to two great edinburgh airport parking and edinburgh airport hotel price comparison pages.
