A man has admitted sending a false parcel bomb at Christmas time, which shut down Flushing and saw homes having to be evacuated.

Lee Francis Moody, 58, appeared at Swansea Crown Court today to admit orchestrating a bomb hoax on December 21 last year by posting a homemade mock explosive device with the intention of inducing the recipient to believe that it would explode or ignite and cause personal injury or damage to property.

He also pleaded guilty to sending a letter intending to cause distress or anxiety to the same recipient.

Moody, from St Dogmaels, had initially denied the bomb hoax charge at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court last month but changed his plea to guilty today.

A previous hearing heard that the fake parcel bomb was sent to an address in Flushing. 

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The court heard that the hoax bomb was so realistic that the authorities did not know that it was a hoax until they tried to detonate it.

By that time shipping had been disrupted, residents had been evacuated and businesses had had to close.

The previous hearing was told that a Flushing resident had contacted police, just after midnight on January 8, to say that he had received a parcel addressed to him which looked like a parcel bomb which had either failed to detonate or was fake.

Reports from the scene said that police and the bomb disposal squad were called to Flushing in the early hours of Sunday.

Falmouth Packet: A robot was used to inspect the deviceA robot was used to inspect the device (Image: Jeremy Ward)

The Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team was contacted to investigate and a command centre was set up by the police at Tregew Barn above the village.

Residents were evacuated as a precaution and were supported as they awaited EOD assessment.

A 100m cordon was put in place and the roads surrounding the area were also closed.

The court heard that the parcel was forensically examined. In it there was text that said "Make your peace with God. I am coming for you" as well as a drawing of a stick man with an axe to its heart, a knife to its neck and a house on fire.

The parcel is believed to have been posted from Guilford in Surrey on December 21.

Judge His Honour PH Thomas KC said that the case was "in many ways bizzare" and ordered a pre sentence report to be complied by the probation service.

“The more information the court has about the defendant in such a - in many ways - bizarre case the better,” he said.

He warned Moody, who is currently on remand in HMP Swansea, to expect to go to jail when he returns for sentencing next month.

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