Man's homemade explosives led to street evacuation

A man has been jailed for throwing acid and making explosives in a "home laboratory" inside his flat in Derbyshire.

Police cordoned off streets and evacuated 35 homes after finding explosive materials in a search in Kingsley Avenue, Chesterfield, in July 2024 immediately following an acid attack.

Robert Spinks, 52, of HMP Leicester but formerly of Kingsley Avenue, was due to begin a four-day trial on Wednesday at Derby Crown Court, after previously being found guilty of throwing a corrosive fluid to injure.

But ahead of the trial, Spinks pleaded guilty to the 14 charges of making explosives dating as far back as January 2009 and was jailed for seven years.

These included making explosive devices, fuses, hexamethylene triperoxide diamine - also known as HMTD, which is an organic chemical compound so volatile it is not made commercially or by the military over the risk of explosion during manufacture - gun powder, and flash powder "in circumstances which gave rise to a reasonable suspicion they were not for lawful object".

The acid attack had taken place on Derby Road, Chesterfield, in the early hours of 19 July 2024 when Spinks, having drunk two bottles of cider and two beers, had thrown a mixture of weedkiller, water and various acids over his victim.

A statement to the court said the victim required specialist treatment for the chemical burns and had been left with permanent scarring to his head, neck, shoulder and chest.

A second person whose "bravery" in assisting the victim was praised in court had to attend hospital after inhaling vapour at the scene.

The subsequent search at Spinks home address led to the discovery of explosive materials, prompting police to close a section of Kingsley Avenue between Church Street and Burns Road.

Three homes were initially evacuated before residents from a further 32 properties were told to leave.

A rest centre was established at Queen's Park Sports Centre for residents.

The court heard that the bomb squad was called in initially, but the investigation was left with Derbyshire Police after it was decided the explosives were for Spinks's "eccentric interest" and not terrorist-related.

The court heard Spinks, a crack cocaine user, had been creating the explosives "for his own purpose" and they were "experimental".

He also owned a "recipe book" guide to making explosives, and diagrams on how to make latch triggers and triggers to place inside a ball-point pen.

Spinks's explosive materials were not owned to inflict injuries, the court heard, but he had been "reckless" about if they could have potentially caused injuries or damage to property.

All the powders were stored in Tupperware-style containers inside his flat. One had been marked with the words "best one yet".

During police interview, Spinks had told police there had been a previous incident where gun powder had begun smoking and filled the property with thick smoke.

Sentencing, Judge Carter said the explosive items seized would be destroyed, that Spinks would be ordered to pay a victim surcharge, and would be given a 15-year restraining order in relation to the victim of his acid attack.

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