Cowboy fan Tony Wooley escapes jail after bomb squad find gunpowder at his Birmingham home

A British army bomb squad swooped on the home of Sutton Coldfield Wild West fan Tony Wooley after his sister told police he had been making explosives.

The 62 year-old had gunpowder in his shed which he used for historical re-enactments inspired by his love of Wild West cowboy movies. He sparked the evacuation of several properties along his quiet suburban street. A court heard officers descended on the HGV driver’s home and found a device in his sister’s bedroom they thought may have made a bomb.

But it turned out it was a sound box - used for ‘quick draw gun duels’ - and was part of Woolley’s hobby. Seven bottles of black powder, which is in effect gunpowder, was also found in his shed and home on Poplar Avenue. Army bomb disposal units spent several hours examining the scene following the discovery of the "suspicious items" on April 25 this year.

Wild West enthusiast Wooley previously admitted acquiring explosives without a valid explosives certificate and manufacturing ammunition without approval. Today (Thursday, October 26) he was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended for 18 months and ordered to pay £400 costs at Birmingham Crown Court.

Patrick Sullivan, prosecuting, said: "It was on the morning of 25 April this year that officers executed a search warrant at the home of Woolley. There were primed cartridges, blank cartridges and spent cartridges surrounding a workshop that was used by Woolley in pursuit of his hobby which was the Wild West."

Mr Sullivan said Wooley was part of a group who took part in re-enactments of the Wild West using costumes and firearms which also involved ‘quick draw duels. But he said the gunpowder could also have been used in live firearms and Woolley should have had a licence for the acquisition and use of explosives because of their lethal potential.

He added: "There was also a timing device that police thought was a bomb which led to concern and the calling of the bomb disposal team."

Sentencing, Judge Melbourne Inman KC said: "On April 25 there was a significant police operation that came to your home where they found you were in possession of very nearly four kilos of explosive material, described variously as black powder or gun powder.

"You were also in the process of manufacturing, in effect, blank ammunition. There was also concern you were making an explosive device which created a very significant incident, with people being moved out and the bomb quad had to come to your home."

He said it was "amateurish possession of dangerous materials" but there was no criminal intent and was for an "innocent purpose" as part of his hobby.

Oliver Woolhouse, defending, said Woolley had been with the group for 20 years which also did charitable works. He said he had already drawn national attention to himself when his street had to be closed off. He said officers going to the address had been the result of his sister, who he had fallen out with, making a report to police that he kept weapons there.

Mr Woolhouse added: "When the police attended police carried out a search in his sister’s bedroom and found what they believed to be an IED which turned out to be a sound device."