Man sentenced after sugar sent to police sparks biohazard alert

One Leicestershire Police officer described feeling shaken and anxious

A man who sent packages to police stations containing caster sugar prompted a full biohazard response, a court has heard.

Andrew Ostromeki, who was experiencing a manic episode from his bipolar condition, sent nine packages to locations across Leicestershire.

Fake bank notes featuring images of the Queen "smoking a roll-up" were also included, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

Ostromeki, 48, was given a two-year community order on Wednesday.

'Biological weapon'

Of the nine packages, six were received on 3 April 2023 while another three arrived over the next two days.

Along with the bags of sugar and fake bank notes, the packages also contained paper slips, links to a website, his phone number and messages of condolence.

"He believed plastic bags of sugar would resemble drugs and it did not occur to him that anyone would take the packages to contain a biological weapon," prosecutor Diane Wilson said.

The arrival of the packages led to a number of police station closures and the fire service being called in with full biohazard gear, the court heard.

A police officer working on one station's front desk opened the package and said she was "shaking, upset and anxious".

The court heard Ostromeki's mental health episode had "impaired him to make rational decisions".

Ostromeki, of Britannia Street, Loughborough, Leicestershire, pleaded guilty to causing a public nuisance at an earlier hearing.

Judge Paul Farrer KC handed him a two-year community order, a 30-day rehabilitation order and a nine-month mental health treatment plan.