Man obsessed with ex-girlfriend jailed for explosive device

Riyaz Khan was described as controlling and had made threats even during the relationship

A man obsessed with his ex-girlfriend has been jailed for planting explosive packages in her husband's car.

Riyaz Khan, 27, put two firework-based devices, both later deemed capable of causing harm, in the car on Huntingdon Road, Leicester, in June.

Khan, of no fixed address, admitted a series of charges, including three counts of stalking, relating to a campaign of harassment.

He was jailed for three years and nine months at Leicester Crown Court.

When the devices were found, the bomb squad sealed off the area for nine hours.

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As well as the packages, Khan planted a memory stick containing indecent images of children in the car

Police said their investigation led to Khan, who was described as controlling and having made threats even during the relationship.

When his former partner married, he began following the couple, driving by their home and sitting outside their house.

As well as the explosive packages, Khan planted a memory stick in the vehicle which contained indecent images of children.

He pleaded guilty to three charges of stalking, two of which caused fear of violence or serious alarm and distress, along with one charge of criminal damage and one of perverting the course of justice.

He was also given a restraining order against his former partner, her husband and another family member.

Det Con Miranda Granger said: "We established during the investigation that Khan was angered by his former girlfriend's new relationship and intended to disrupt their life.

"Khan would follow the victim home from work and would sit outside her home for no apparent reason.

"This was an extreme form of stalking."