A FORMER soldier has been jailed for 22 months after he left a guitar case containing a fake bomb outside a curry house in Ellesmere Port.

Stephen Deerin, 47, caused “a huge amount of fear and disruption” when the area around the Purple Olive restaurant on Chester Road was evacuated at around 3.30am on November 4.

He had made a call to police from a telephone box saying he was a member of far-right neo-Nazi group National Action and warned that the device would explode at 6am.

Armed police swooped on the restaurant and alerted the Bomb Squad when they discovered a device on steps at the rear of the property.

Chester Crown Court heard on Friday (December 7) that police had earlier been called to Deerin’s home on Pound Road to investigate a report by Purple Olive that he had failed to pay £65 for a takeaway curry.

Finding no one home, officers confiscated his military-style jacket – something which clearly rankled the defendant.

Mandy Nepal, prosecuting, said: “At 2.16am police received a phone call from a kiosk on Chester Road informing them that a device had been left at the Purple Olive restaurant.

“The caller went on to say he was part of the National Action group and was in possession of a Colt .45 [handgun]. He was a member of the British armed forces and would engage with police if they turned up.

“At 2.46am the caller said the device had been planted and if his military coat wasn’t returned it would be exploded at 6am.”

Firearms officers then discovered a guitar case containing a package on the steps at the rear of the restaurant at 3.25am.

Nearby properties were evacuated while the bomb disposal unit and fire service were called to the scene.

It wasn’t until 5.52am that the experts confirmed that the convincing-looking device was actually a fake.

Around half an hour later, police received a silent call from a phone box on Overpool Road and despatched officers to the scene.

“The defendant was found on a nearby bench drinking and was arrested,” Miss Nepal said.

He refused to be interviewed but pleaded guilty to 'making off without payment' and the 'placing an article with intent' bomb hoax at Friday’s hearing.

Deerin is said to have served in the Army between 1989 and 1992 with tours in both Ireland and the then Yugoslavia.

The court heard he has a string of previous convictions dating back to the 80s including robbery, burglary, battery and racially aggravated harassment. In 2003 he served five years for a robbery in Newcastle.

Defending, Simon Blakebrough stressed his client had entered guilty pleas and “expressed considerable remorse about what he has done”. The device was “unsophisticated but looked genuine”, he said.

“It was idiotic and stupid,” the barrister added. “If he could turn back the clock, he would.”

Mr Blakebrough said Deerin’s mother had been murdered in 1992 and his father died in 2010 leaving him with no family support network.

“He lives his life very much as a loner, mainly sleeping on the streets,” he said.

Judge Steven Everett said he accepted Deerin had some mental health issues but none that meant he did not understand the repercussions of his actions.

The judge told Deerin: “By your thoughtless and pretty selfish acts you created a huge amount of fear and disruption.”

Before sending him down, he added: “You have a bad record. Only you can decide now if you change your approach.

“You only get one life Stephen Deerin. What you really don’t want to do is look back on this life in 20 or 30 years and think ‘what did I do?’.”