Home / Crime and Justice / Misunderstanding Sparks US Embassy Bomb Scare, Man Acquitted
Misunderstanding Sparks US Embassy Bomb Scare, Man Acquitted
20 Nov
Summary
- Man cleared of hoax after leaving art outside US embassy.
- Embassy lockdown and bomb experts called after suspicious package found.
- Defendant cited 'sophisticated graffiti art' as his intention.
A man has been cleared of a bomb hoax charge after leaving items he described as 'graffiti art' outside the US embassy in London. The suspicious package, consisting of an iPad and wires, caused the embassy to go into lockdown and prompted the deployment of bomb disposal experts on November 22 last year.
Daniel Parmenter, 44, denied intending to cause alarm, stating that embassy staff would recognize his display was not an explosive. Following a trial, he was found not guilty of placing an article with intent. The verdict was delivered in his absence due to a misunderstanding about when to leave court.
Parmenter explained his actions as a form of 'sophisticated graffiti art.' Despite the alarm caused, including a controlled explosion, the court accepted his defense of misunderstanding, leading to his acquittal. He had previously left a 9/11-related print at the embassy on Halloween.
