A father-of-three who launched an arson attack on a 5G telecoms mast after reading conspiracy theories about its supposed links to the current coronavirus pandemic has been jailed for three years.
Michael Whitty, 47, was so concerned about the potential dangers he perceived to his young children from 5G that he and two other men set fire to an equipment box next to a mast in Coopers Lane, Kirkby, Merseyside.
The April 5 incident caused £15,000 worth of damage and rendered the mast out of action for 10 days.
Whitty, who engaged in chatroom discussions about the supposed link between 5G and coronavirus, admitted arson and was today jailed for three years at Liverpool Crown Court.
There have been 13 reported arson attacks on telecom masts on Merseyside between March 29 and April 14 this year and many more nationally causing a total of £250,000 worth of damage, the court was told.
Theories linking 5G to coronavirus have been condemned by scientists as baseless, with Public Health England explaining that there is no evidence exposure is harmful.
Whitty is believed to be the first person in Britain to be jailed for arson at a 5G tower.
Michael Whitty, 47, admitted arson and was today jailed for three years at Liverpool Crown Court. He is the first person in Britain to be jailed for arson at a 5G tower
Judge Thomas Teague QC said he was concerned about the situation nationally involving such offences and this attack had involved a ‘high degree of planning’.
There was also the potential significant impact on emergency services with the mast out of action.
Simon Christie, prosecuting, said: ‘The risk to the public is high if these masts are out of use as it will affect their use of mobile phone signals as well as radio transmission and mobile phone use for the emergency services.
‘This offence occurred within the second week of the national Covid lockdown.’
The court was told that when Whitty’s mobile phone was examined by police it revealed he had been researching theories on the internet ‘about the alleged connection between 5G and the current Coronavirus pandemic’.
His two accomplices have not been traced but fire fighters found a partly burnt glove left behind at the scene in Coopers Lane, Kirkby, and analysis revealed his DNA.
Whitty, 47, was so concerned about the potential dangers he perceived to his young children from 5G that he and two other men set fire to an equipment box next to a mast in Coopers Lane, Kirkby, Merseyside (pictured)
The judge heard Whitty had been badly affected emotionally after the death of a nephew, and he now helps a charity by delivering food parcels at his own expense, donating toys and books and also helping as a ‘transformational’ mentor.
But the court also heard he has 14 previous convictions, including one for firearms.
He had assaulted two police officers at the crown court and was the subject of a community order at the time of the arson for punching an examiner from the Driver and Vehicle Standards agency who tried to seize the defendant’s minibus at a drop off point at Liverpool Airport where Whitty and his sister run a parking service.
Mr Christie told the court that the arson to the equipment box came to light at 10.47 pm on April 5 after a delivery driver reported three males running away from a 5G mast on fire on Coopers Lane, Kirkby by the corner of the East Lancashire Road.
Pictured is a mast in Chaddesden, Derby, which was badly damaged by fire on May 24, only days after it had been erected, in a separate incident to Whitty’s
He could see wires exposed but was able to stamp the fire out. He did not see the fire being started but saw all three men, two of them with their faces covered. Two of the gang are still at large, said Mr Christie.
‘Fire officers attended, as did the police, and it was noted that the power box had been forced open and two covers on the mast had been forced off and wires exposed. Vodaphone were asked to attend and make safe their equipment.’
A firefighter found firelighters inside the mast and partially burnt gloves on the floor in front of the power box.
Crime scene officers attended and took the partially burnt gloves away for analysis and a DNA sample matched one held by the police from the defendant.
When police went to his home in Kirkby, they found firelighters and handwritten notes about mobile phone technology, said Mr Christie.
Andrew Alty, defending, said that the death of his nephew in 2014 in an alleged dangerous driving incident had had ‘an enormous impact’ on him as a man accused of murder following the incident was cleared by a jury.
A reference from a parish priest described him as ‘an excellent father, sincere, honest and kind’ and another from the Centre 63 charity spoke of his community work.
Mr Alty said they painted a different picture of the defendant who was a credit to his family and community. He said that his response to his concerns about the masts was ‘clearly wrong and disproportionate’ and ironically his fears for his children have led to him being incarcerated and away from them.