Bomb maker faces wait to hear sentence

Jan 24 2009 By Kerry Wood, The Journal

THE son of a school caretaker convicted of unlawfully making a bomb will have to wait to be sentenced after the case was adjourned for further reports yesterday.

David Riding, now 20, was found guilty of manufacturing a 13cm-long pipe bomb without a lawful purpose at Durham Crown Court following a three-day trial on December 1 last year.

Yesterday, at Durham Crown Court, Judge Christopher Prince put off sentencing until February 13 because he was not satisfied the psychiatrist responsible for the pre-sentence report had all the information needed.

Riding was remanded in custody and relatives held their heads in their hands as he was led away.

Police found the device, which had "killer" scratched on to its side, in a locked safe hidden under Riding’s bed in November 2007, along with a knuckle duster, imitation guns, knives and blank ammunition.

Riding lived in the grounds of the £2,980-per-term Durham High School for Girls where his father is a caretaker.

During the trial he claimed he made the pipe bomb out of curiosity and not to set it off.

Judge Prince said it was important the psychiatrist was aware of the collection of items in Riding’s room along with the bomb before he made a decision on a sentence.

"I want the people compiling the pre-sentence reports to be aware of the other weapons," he said.

"I’m afraid I think it’s unrealistic to look at a pipe bomb in isolation when it was found with other items."

Riding was arrested on November 1, 2007, when police discovered the bomb in a locked safe in his bedroom at staff accommodation.

He told the court he had been browsing the internet when he found a website detailing scams and how to make home-made bombs.

He went on to make the device in his bedroom in May 2006, using information from the website.

Throughout the trial, Riding had denied making an explosive substance without a lawful objective. He was found guilty by a jury after 35 minutes.

Sentencing will now take place at Newcastle Crown Court on February 13.