Man planned to detonate bomb inside Blackpool bank after watching Netflix series

An escaped prisoner who planned to set off an explosive device at a Blackpool bank after watching a Netflix documentary will face further jail time.

On 26 November 2020 Lancashire Police officers conducted a welfare check on Alan Murphy, 62, who was living in a campervan in Blackpool.

Murphy initially gave officers a false name, but his real identity was confirmed following a fingerprint scan.

The police system showed he was wanted after leaving an open prison nine months earlier and failing to return.

He told officers he had a gun and an improvised explosive device (IED) in his bag.

Murphy was handcuffed and moved away from the immediate area, which was evacuated to 100 metres whilst a specialist team from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service conducted tests on the contents of the bag.

Officers seized the IED, two imitation firearms, fireworks and a knife along with a prewritten note for the bank which outlined his demands for bank cards and a threat that he would detonate the IED if they did not comply.

Murphy was charged with five offences including two offences of possession of an explosive substance with intent, two offences of possession of an imitation firearm and one offence of possession of a knife.

He pleaded guilty to four of the five offences at court saying that he intended to damage the bank in Blackpool or cars that belonged to bank employees but did not want to hurt anyone.

He said he had become enraged after watching a Netflix documentary which claimed to expose a high street bank for allegedly funding terrorism and drug cartels in Mexico.

Following a trial in April this year he was found not guilty of the final offence – one count of possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life.

Today he has been sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment with a five-year extended licence.  

Tom Snape, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “Alan Murphy is a dangerous man who planned to carry out a terrifying bomb attack on a bank and its staff.

“It is fortunate officers attended that day and then acted swiftly to prevent Murphy carrying out his plan, which could have had devastating consequences.

“I hope this conviction and sentence provides some reassurance that this man has now been brought to justice.

“We will continue to work closely with the police to do all we can to ensure the safety of our communities.”