Benji Griffiths, a 37-year-old man from Coleford, Gloucestershire, narrowly escaped prison despite making serious threats to bomb an asylum seeker hotel in Gloucester. Griffiths called the Ibis Hotel twice in September last year, explicitly threatening to bring a bomb to the premises, which temporarily houses asylum seekers.
The incidents occurred on September 9 and 12, just days after anti-migrant protests had taken place outside the hotel. During the first call, Griffiths expressed anger over the asylum seekers being accommodated there and stated, “I’m going to bring a bomb to the hotel.” When questioned by hotel staff, he repeated the threat, adding “UK all the way.” In the second call, he asked, “How would you feel if I brought a bomb to the hotel and blew up all the immigrants?”
Griffiths pleaded guilty to two charges of sending threatening communications that were racially aggravated. Although he had no prior convictions, the court recognized the severity of his actions. During sentencing, Griffiths apologized, expressing regret and outlining changes he has made to improve his behavior, including reducing alcohol consumption and cutting out social media.
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Magistrate Stephen Pitt considered Griffiths’ previously clean record and the probation service’s assessment that he posed a low risk of reoffending. Griffiths was sentenced to a 12-month community order, including 180 hours of unpaid work and an alcohol monitoring tag for 120 days. He was also fined £199.
This case highlights the tensions surrounding the accommodation of asylum seekers and the legal consequences of threatening violence.