Embassy bomb threat 'was graffiti art' court told

The US embassy building in Nine Elms went into lockdown, the Old Bailey heard

A man who left "sophisticated graffiti art" outside the US Embassy as a "gift" has denied making a hoax bomb threat.

Daniel Parmenter, 44, who lives with his mother in Bayswater, west London, had left a collection of items - including an iPad with taped down firework wires - on the morning of 22 November 2024, the Old Bailey heard.

The embassy went into lockdown as bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion.

Mr Parmenter admitted leaving the items but denied it was a bomb hoax.

Opening the trial for the prosecution, Lucy Organ said Mr Parmenter left the package in an alleyway by the embassy in Nine Elms, south-west London, early one morning.

At 08:30 GMT, a civilian guard for the US Embassy saw what she thought looked like a bomb and panicked.

She took a photograph and returned to the embassy to raise the alarm.

A police officer on duty at the embassy saw the photograph and walked down the alleyway where he saw a drum, some photo frames, and a large metal tray with writing and a skull and crossbones on it, jurors were told.

Ms Organ said: "Next to all of this on the floor next to the wall was what appeared to be an IED [improvised explosive device] - an old-style iPad with a key pad and firework wires all taped up."

A cordon was put in place, local roads were closed and the US embassy went into lockdown.

Three bomb disposal officers attended the scene and carried out a controlled explosion.

'Radiation. Hazard'

The objects left by the defendant included a piece of paper with "Danger Chemicals" written on it, a silver baking tray embellished with a skull and crossbones and the words "Warning Hazard" and a drum and drumsticks.

There was a book of poetry in a frame, and a red picture frame containing tools and a first aid kit, the court heard.

A box of dates was also found marked for the attention of the US Navy with the words "do not x-ray, please inspect. Radiation. Hazard".

CCTV led to the identification and arrest of Mr Parmenter two days later.

He told officers: "I presume this is about the framed toolkit that my dad produced and I dropped round as a gift for the US Navy."

He denied meaning any harm, and said: "It is basically a form of slightly sophisticated graffiti art of the non-vandal type."

Ms Organ told jurors the defendant did not deny leaving the objects on the perimeter wall of the US Embassy.

She said the issue in the trial would be whether Mr Parmenter intended others to believe the device was likely to explode or ignite and cause personal injury or damage to property.

The trial continues.