A 53-year-old Chathamman has gone on trial after a suspicious package was sent to a Covid-19 vaccine plant in Wrexham.

Anthony Collins was arrested following a raid on his home after the device was received at the Wrexham facilityin January.

Wockhardt UK was evacuated and a bomb disposal unit was called in.

The jury at Maidstone Crown Court heard that Collins had previously sent a suspect packet to Kent Police in August 2018 - although he was never charged with an offence.

Prosecutor Alan Gardner said Collins had included his name and address in the parcel which contained batteries.

The Army bomb squad was called in and carried out a controlled explosion - which contained no explosives.

Mr Gardner said: "Mr Collins had developed an obsession with Covid and the vaccine."

He also revealed packages had been sent to No10 Downing Street, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and a USAF base in Fairford.

Wockhardt helped prepare the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for distribution.

Collins has pleaded not guilty with dispatching an article by post with the intention of inducing the belief it is likely to explode or ignite.

The jury were show pictures of the packet arriving by the postman and handed to a security official who feared it may harm staff and took it outside and left it near a bush.

Sergeant Matthew Duffy from the Army's bomb disposal unit was called in and ex-rayed it.

He ordered a 100m cordon after seeing it contained batteries and a colleague was ordered to fire a "disrupter" from a safe distance.

The jury were then shown a photograph of the package after it had been ensured it was safe.

The power of the disrupter had sent the batteries scattering and the incident was then declared a hoax.

More than 120 members of staff were evacuated and work on the vaccine was halted.

Police later discovered the packet contained a receipt from Tesco in Gillingham; two gardening gloves; parts of a calculator and three AAA batteries.

Collins was arrested and claimed that he had sent the packet "to educate" scientists find a cure for Covid.

He also admitted sending packages to Police HQ in Maidstone and one to 10 Downing Street containing a key fob, and DVDs. It was intercepted.

He also sent a packet to the American airbase in Gloucestershire, and the product director at AstraZeneca containing a wall thermometer and paper.

The prosecutor also revealed similar items were sent to Wuhan in China, North Korean premier Kim Jong-Un in February - neither was delivered after being intercepted.

Mr Gardner told the jury that on January 27 a Royal Mail postal worker delivered a package to the Wockhardt factory.

"The postal worker and security staff at Wockhardt became suspicious about the package and called the police..."

He added: "Wockhardt is a large pharmaceutical company which at the that time was engaged in the production of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID vaccine.

"The postal worker and security staff at Wockhardt became suspicious about the package and called the police.

"The police summoned the military Explosives Ordinance Disposal team. The package was X -rayed and it was found to contain items including batteries and electronic circuitry. "

He added: "There is no dispute that the defendant was the person who dispatched the package. "

Mr Gardner then told the jury: "The issue for you to consider is what his intention was in so doing.

"The package was X -rayed and it was found to contain items including batteries and electronic circuitry... "

"The prosecution case is that it was his intention to make another person believe it was likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or to damage property.

"In that, he succeeded because those who received the package treated it as if it contained an explosive device until the Army was able to confirm it was safe."

The jury heard how postman Huw Jones became suspicious as he was about to deliver the item to Wockhardt's premises.

"He felt the package 'just did not look right' and therefore handed it to a security guard and army experts ensured it was made safe.

Afterwards they discovered a calculator, garden gloves, four batteries, a yellow bio-hazard bar, a surface wipe and a quantity of paper inside.

Police went to Chatham and arrested Collins who told them: "The whole point I sent the letter to the Covid place in North Wales is to help them. Here I am getting in trouble for it."

He then admitted sending packets to 10 Downing Street, the product director at Astra Zeneca and had written "You contact Heddlu" - which is the North Wales Police.

The court heard that most of the packages had been intercepted including one to 10 Downing Street, containing a DVD, a calculator, a magnifying glass and a key fob.

He sent another to the United States Air Force Base at Fairford in Gloucestershire; one to Whuhan Technicians Laboratory, China and one to Kim Jung-Un - containing a keyring with batteries.

The trial continues tomorrow.

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