A teenager from Garston has admitted to making bomb threats to thousands of schools and a flight travelling from the UK to the USA.

George Duke-Cohan, 19, of Mutchetts Close, admitted making the hoax bomb threats from behind his computer screen, at a hearing at Luton Magistrates Court yesterday.

More than 400 schools were evacuated in March this year, including Stanborough School in Watford and St Albans High School, following an email sent by Duke-Cohan.

Despite being arrested just days after the threats were made, and still under investigation, the teenager sent another email to schools across the UK and the USA which claimed that pipe bombs had been planted under the premises, in April.

Still under investigation, Duke-Cohan called San Francisco airport and played the role of a worried father. In the call, he said his daughter had contacted him from the flight and reported that the plane had been hijacked by gunmen, and one of them had a bomb.

When the plane touched down in San Francisco, a major security operation got underway in a quarantined area of the airport. All 295 passengers had to remain on board the United Airlines flight.

On August 9, a hacker group known as ‘Apophis Squad’ claimed on their Twitter page that flight UAK 949 has been grounded due to their actions.

The National Crime Agency worked with the FBI to track down that it was Duke-Cohan that had made the bomb threats on the plane.

Watford Observer:

Duke-Cohan was arrested for a third time, inside his own bedroom, last Friday.

Police recovered a number of electronic devices belonging to him, which went against the pre-charge bail conditions that had been imposed on him.

At court yesterday, he pleaded guilty to three counts of making hoax bomb threats.

He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Luton Crown Court on 21 September.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Marc Horsfall said: “George Duke-Cohan made a series of bomb threats that caused serious worry and inconvenience to thousands of people, not least an international airline.

“He carried out these threats hidden behind a computer screen for his own enjoyment, with no consideration for the effect he was having on others.

“Despite being arrested and having conditions imposed restricting his use of technology, he persistently broke those conditions to continue his wave of violent threats.”

Read more: Listen to hoax call where Garston teen says bomb is on board US flight