Judge reveals how much Park Square Roundabout siege over bomb hoax cost Sheffield taxpayer

A judge revealed how much the 32-hour-long Park Square Roundabout police siege cost the public purse.

Yaqub Younis, aged 49, was jailed for seven years on Thursday (July 3) after claiming his top-floor flat at The Gateway, Broad Street, was rigged with “20kg of explosives” and told neighbours he would “pop” the building.

It led to a colossal police siege of the flat block, during which the nearby Park Square Roundabout - one of the busiest routes in Sheffield - was shut for 36 hours.

Traffic leading off of the M1, pedestrians going about their business and entire branches of the Supertram network were all barred.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes and over 80 people were forced to sleep in the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre for two nights.

‘Incalculable’

Now, a judge has revealed how much the incident cost the taxpayer - as well as the impact on everyday citizens in Sheffield as a whole.

At Younis’ sentencing at Sheffield Crown Court, the Recorder of Sheffield, His Honour Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, said: “You severely paralysed an important part of this city for well over 30 hours.

“The personal inconvenience to many, many citizens and others cannot be calculated in financial terms. But there is no doubt whatsoever your criminal conduct for over 30 hours close to the city centre and adjacent to a major traffic hub has caused incalculable harm

“Transport was severely affected... Schools and hospitals were affected... In an ordinary day, in excess of 39,000 vehicles pass through the Park Square roundabout. None could for well over 30 hours.

“The total cost for all the emergency services due to your criminal conduct was a little short of £195,000.

“Mr Richard Eyre [a council official] gave unchallenged evidence that the total loss of revenue to the city coupled to payments for extra services due to this incident was in excess of £300,000.

“This is all quite apart from the loss of income to business in the city who either could not operate or were severely affected because customers and others could not get to them.”

In addition, Younis caused £17,000 of damage to his rented flat during the incident.

Younis attempted to convince a jury he was justified in making the bomb threat because of a “sincerely held belief” that “MI5 assassins” were trying to kill him.

The judge slammed this as “complete and utter nonsense.”

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