Husband-to-be made bomb hoax call after failing to book wedding venue

An embarrassed Liverpool groom triggered a bomb scare at his wedding so his bride-to-be would not find out he had bungled the booking. Panicked Neil McArdle telephoned St George’s Hall to pretend an explosive had been left in the building where he was due to marry. He even let his unwitting fiance turn up in her wedding dress, only to find the venue evacuated and swarming with police. The 36-year-old now faces a jail sentence after admitting making the bomb hoax call.
McArdle, of Kirkby, had planned to marry his fiance Amy Williams at Liverpool Register Office, within the building, on April 24 this year. The date was penciled in and the pair were given “right to marry” paperwork to complete in order to legalize proceedings. But by time the big day arrived, the McArdle realized he had not completed the forms and knew the venue was not officially booked. Panicking, he went to a phone booth near his home on the morning of the supposed wedding and rang St George’s Hall. He told the receptionist: “There’s a bomb in St George’s Hall and it will go off in 45 minutes”, before putting the phone down.

The hall was immediately put on lockdown and dozens of people inside were evacuated as police and a bomb disposal unit were sent to the scene. The bride and her wedding party arrived at the hall still believing the wedding would take place. When the hall was re-opened around an hour later, with the groom present, it emerged there was no booking in the name of McArdle and Williams. A source said: “He realized that he hadn’t filled this form in. But he hadn’t got the heart to tell his missus and her family. The whole wedding party turned up to this bomb scare and then they found out there was no actual booking.”

Enquiries led to McArdle being arrested and subsequently charged later that day with making a bomb hoax. It is understood the husband-to-be made full and frank admissions to police, admitting he sparked the hoax in a bid to postpone the wedding and buy himself more time. McArdle, who appeared in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court last week for a brief appearance, admitted a single charge of communicating false information with intent. He will be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court later this month.