William ricin plot revealed

Prince William: Poison plot
13 April 2012

A schoolboy today admitted sending a letter apparently containing a deadly poison to Prince William.

Paul Smith, 17, also sent a bottle of aromatherapy oil laced with caustic soda to the Prime Minister's wife Cherie Blair at 10 Downing Street.

Appearing before Glasgow High Court today, Smith, of High Mains Road, Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, admitted sending letters containing a powder which he claimed was either anthrax or ricin to various people and organisations.

These included Prince William - whose letter was sent to his hall of residence at the University of St Andrews - the House of Commons, Scotland Yard, the Scottish Parliament, the Home Office and the BBC.

The 44 letters, which were sent between August 20 2001 and February last year, caused fear and alarm to those opening the envelopes who inhaled the contents, the court heard.

Sentence was deferred until October 31 at the High Court in Edinburgh for background reports.

Smith also pleaded guilty to sending packages containing a substance which claimed to be eucalyptus aromatherapy oil along with instructions to rub the substance on to the face and hands.

It contained sodium hydroxide - better known as caustic soda - which can burn the skin and damage the throat and stomach lining if inhaled.

These packages were sent to Mrs Blair and to Margaret Ashcroft, an aide to Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles.

The packages were sent between February 26 and 27 last year.

Smith appeared alongside a second teenager, 16-year-old Martin Jeffries, also from Dumbarton.

Jeffries pleaded not guilty to the two charges admitted by Smith and these pleas were accepted by the Crown.

Smith pleaded not guilty to a third charge of sending letters to Avril Davie, the headteacher of Knoxland Primary School in Dumbarton, demanding £550 and threatening her, her family and pupils with violence.

This plea was accepted by the Crown.

Smith was released on bail following today's hearing before Lord Kingarth.

This afternoon, Mrs Ashcroft said she was pleased Smith had pleaded guilty.
She said: "I think the justice process is perfectly adequate.

"I really don't want to say anything more about it because I don't know the young man and I don't know why he did it."

Letters containing the powder which claimed to be anthrax ricin were also sent to the Chief Constable of Fife Police at police headquarters in Glenrothes.

A senior Fife Constabulary officer said the force was pleased with today's guilty plea.

Temporary Detective Superintendent Tom Crozier said: "This painstaking operation lasting many months took officers from out Computer Crime Inquiry Team and others all over the country and clearly we are pleased that this hard work and endeavour has contributed to a positive outcome through the due process of law."

St Andrews University, where the Prince is entering his third year of a history of art degree, declined to comment on the case.

A spokesman said: "We never comment on security matters."

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