Judge says Steven Bracher, who stored one device under his bed, posed danger to public

A man with extreme racist and homophobic views has been jailed for more than three years for making bombs and stockpiling weapons including crossbows and knives at his home in a Devon village.

One of the largest bombs created by Steven Bracher, 56, was stored under his bed and left a large crater when Royal Navy ordnance experts carried out a controlled explosion on it.

Police also recovered a notebook from Bracher’s home in which he expressed disturbing views. He spoke of his anger at the marriage of Lenny Henry and Dawn French, and in another passage he ranted: “It’s time to kill the rich, kill the liars.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest One of the bedrooms in Steven Bracher’s home in Bishops Tawton, near Barnstaple, Devon.

Bracher, who the court heard had been fascinated by chemistry since school, told police he made the devices because he liked to “see them go bang” but he had no intention of harming anyone.

Jailing Bracher for 40 months on Monday, the judge David Evans said 17 “viable” improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were found at his homeBishops Tawton, near Barnstaple. He said the devices had the potential to kill or injure.

Exeter crown court heard that weapons in the house included knives, a spear, three machetes, an axe, two bows, 53 arrows, and catapults with ball bearings for ammunition.

The judge said it was difficult to conclude what Bracher had made the IEDs for. But he added: “Nobody should have this quantity of explosive devices in their possession and no one should manufacture it. You have had a lifelong fascination for explosions and flames. You are a danger to the public.”

He accepted that the defendant had not vented his views in public or acted on them.

Bracher admitted three charges of possessing explosive substance for an unlawful purpose, one count of possessing a knife in a public place and one of possessing amphetamine.

DI Phil Gray, of Barnstaple CID, said: “He was very unassuming and mild in his manner. Bracher is unemployed with a drugs habit and is an individual who has disassociated himself from society apart from a small circle of friends and family.

“Bracher made no suggestion of trying to harm anyone and this was never treated as a terrorism threat. We found no evidence of links to extremist groups or how he was getting the chemicals and materials. It appears that he had built up a collection over many years, mostly likely all from the internet and household chemicals from shops.”

