Bridlington man sentenced for keeping dangerous chemicals

Gert Meyers, 61, from Bridlington, had caused "very serious distress" to his neighbours, a court was told

A man who experimented with dangerous chemicals at his home has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Gert Meyers, 61, was charged after dozens of homes on Oxford Street, Bridlington, had to be evacuated in April due to his activities.

He also traded chemicals online, with one customer later convicted of terrorism, a court was told.

Meyers was sentenced at a hearing at Grimsby Crown Court on Wednesday to 24 months, suspended for 24 months.

He had earlier admitted breaching a criminal behaviour order and possession of regulated substances.

The court heard that Meyers was a "hobbyist" chemical engineer who had breached a criminal behaviour order which had been applied when he was sentenced for a similar incident in 2017.

Police and Army units were called to a property in Oxford Street, Bridlington, in April

Sentencing him, Judge John Thackray said Meyers had "caused very serious distress" to neighbours on his street in the East Yorkshire seaside town.

But the judge accepted Meyers, who has physical and mental health conditions, had no intention of distributing dangerous chemicals.

During a Newton hearing, which was held only in front of the judge to establish whether or not Meyers was a hobbyist as the defendant had claimed, the Belgian-born engineer told the court he "experimented with formulas" but would not "make anything explosive or of that nature".

Meyers told the judge he was "very much an experimentalist, that's what drives me" and had used small quantities, with which it was "virtually impossible" to create huge damage.

"[My] experiments didn't come out as I hoped," he said.

"If I'd known I'd be in this position now I wouldn't have done what I did.

"I thought my experiments at that time would go under the radar."

The court heard he had been carrying out experiments for 15 years and had set up an online business trading chemicals.

Pavlo Lapshyn was jailed in 2013 for murdering an 82-year-old grandfather

One of his customers was Ukrainian student Pavlo Lapshyn, who was later convicted of murdering an 82-year-old grandfather in Birmingham and went on to plot bombings.

Meyers was unaware who the customer was until he was later contacted by police during their investigation into Lapshyn, the judge heard.

Prosecutor Holly Thompson told the court the incident in April was "far more serious" than that in 2017, having left neighbours horrified after 100 homes on "a small quiet terrace street" were evacuated, as well as a nearby school.

She said neighbours Tracy Abbot and Gemma Mitchel had been affected "psychologically" with the former "constantly worrying" that he may cause another evacuation.

When asked if he was aware of the risks involved with his chemical endeavours, Meyers replied: "There's a risk with everything."