‘Dangerous’ Sharnbrook man who caused explosion in makeshift lab in bedroom jailed

A man who caused an explosion from the makeshift laboratory in his Sharnbrook home has been jailed.

Matthew Haydon, 48, suffered life-changing injuries following a blast that shattered his bedroom windows in April last year.

Police attended the scene after being alerted to the incident by staff at the hospital where Haydon was being treated.

During a search of his property, officers discovered a makeshift laboratory which was found to contain more than 150 volatile chemicals and material consistent with producing explosive devices.

Detectives also found a number of documents on Haydon’s laptops which referred to the production of explosives and IEDs.

A review of his internet history revealed he had researched the ‘penalty for illegal possession of explosives’, while videos  recovered from his devices showed him testing explosives and chemical reactions in public areas as well as inside his home. 

Haydon was arrested and charged with causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property.

During the trial at the Old Bailey in April this year, witnesses described seeing him ‘shooting targets in his garden and burning things on top of his fridge freezer in the garden’.

Others reported seeing him in the woods dressed in ‘military uniform with a shooters belt kit’.

At the same court where Haydon was convicted, the judge, Mr Justice Johnson, classed him as ‘dangerous’ as he sentenced Haydon to four years and six months imprisonment, with a further four years on licence.

Haydon will also be subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order indefinitely. The order will prevent him from creating explosive devices and acquiring or possessing chemicals used in the manufacturing of homemade explosives.

Detective Inspector Rich Stott of the Bedfordshire Major Crime Unit said: “The explosion Haydon caused underscores the dangers of unlicensed handling of explosive materials.

“By his own admission, a residential bedroom is not the appropriate place for materials of this nature to be stored or experimented with. As such, Haydon has no one else to blame but himself. This was a dangerous obsession that quite easily could have taken his life and that of the people around him.

“The circumstances of this case serve as a stark reminder to the severe legal and physical consequences tied to such activities.”