Lincoln Crown Court finds Skegness man not guilty by reason of insanity after he set off homemade bomb
A man who claimed to be in the secret service when he set off a homemade device outside his Skegness flat has been sentenced to two years probation supervision after jurors found he was insane at the time.
Laurence Buckingham was suffering from bipolar affective disorder when he started a small fire in an alleyway to right the side of the flat where he lived in Scarborough Avenue.
Mr Buckingham was later charged with two offences of arson and arson being reckless to endanger life following the blaze in 2022.
But jurors at Lincoln Crown Court found the 60-year-old not guilty of both offences by reason of insanity after hearing evidence from three doctors.
Phil Howes, prosecuting, told jurors the fire went on to cause damage to a wooden door at the property.
"This was a specially targeted fire, as he had placed a small piece of wood (a table leg) that he set alight, in close proximity to a metal box," Mr Howes explained.
"This metal box itself was placed close to the wooden door, and it contained a number of items that included combustible materials, such as cotton wool buds, paper based products, children's small fluffy toys and lanyards, but most significantly batteries, aerosol cans, nails and screws.
"It was a homemade device, designed to go off with a bang when the cannisters were heated."
Jurors were told a night porter at a property next door heard "two loud thud sounds" during the early hours of June 14, 2022.
Mr Howes said: "He discovered whisps of smoke from this alleyway and found the metal box and smouldering plastic burning, and tins lying around and mugs some intact broken. He got a bucket and extinguished the small fire."
At 4am the same day a cleaner who was cycling to work at the Marine Boat House encountered a smartly dressed man who claimed to be from CID and warned there was going to be a fire in Scarborough Avenue.
Police also received a call by a male claiming to be the head of the Royal Secret Service, MI5 and MI6, whose commander was Laurence Buckingham who lived at Scarborough Avenue and was under attack now.
When Mr Buckingham was spoken to at the scene he said he knew nothing about the fire but had lighters and batteries on his person. He also claimed to have been undercover for two years.
Mr Buckingham was detained under the Mental Health Act and while in police custody admitted making the device and putting it outside stating "it doesn't get much worse than a bomb does it really".
Jurors heard Mr Buckingham then spent a number of weeks being treated on a psychiatric ward at Pilgrim Hospital and was later examined by two defence doctors who concluded the legal test for insanity had been passed. This was also supported by a doctor instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Sentence on Mr Buckingham was adjourned for the preparation of a probation report following the special verdict reached by the jury.
Edna Leonard, mitigating for Mr Buckingham, urged the court to follow a recommendation for probation supervision.
Miss Leonard told the court: "This offence was over two years ago and there has been no repetition.
"Mr Buckingham is on his medication and is well."
Judge Simon Hirst sentenced Mr Buckingham to a two year supervision order and told him: "This is designed to help you."