Lost man threatened to blow up Leeds petrol station after worker refused to hand over cash
He threw lit cigarettes towards fuel pumps
A mentally-ill man made threats to blow up a fuel station after being refused money so he could get home.
Ebrahim Patel had got off his bus at the wrong stop in Woodlesford late at night, and when he couldn’t get cash from the ATM at the BP Garage, he became angry and demanded it from a staff member.
The 37-year-old, who suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar, was initially charged with attempted robbery of the Aberford Road station, which was reduced to affray, to which he pleaded guilty.
Appearing at Leeds Crown Court this week, it was heard that he approached the ATM at around 10.40pm on January 23.
With the shop premises locked up, he then approached the serving hatch for the late-night garage shop and began demanding money from the worker.
After being refused, he then began shouting he would blow up the station. Drivers putting fuel in their vehicles witnessed the incidents, including a mother with her children in the car.
He began shouting at the customers before leaving the site, but stood nearby with a cigarette. He then threw the lit cigarette towards a pump.
Patel lit another and threw that also, but luckily it failed to ignite any surplus fuel.
Later arrested, he initially denied wrongdoing.
Patel, of Carr Side Crescent, Batley, has three previous convictions for five offences, including an ABH.
Mitigating, Esther Bukoye said Patel “offered his sincerest apologies”.
She said he had only been released from hospital after a breakdown and was not taking his medication.
He had got the wrong bus, found himself in Woodlesford and needed to get home.
She added: “He hopes never to bother the courts again. He is in a better place now.”
Judge Howard Crowson told Patel: “You appeared angry and things escalated. You were venting your frustration.”
Given his well-documented issues, Judge Crowson opted to give him a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation days to complete with probation.