Paul Starbuck pleads guilty to bomb hoax during Shakin' Stevens concert
Published: 14:23, 14 November 2011
A man with a grudge against pop star Shakin' Stevens has admitted causing a bomb hoax at a theatre in Tunbridge Wells.
Magistrates in Sevenoaks heard how Paul Starbuck, of no fixed address, drunkenly called police last Wednesday, claiming there was a bomb at the Assembly Hall theatre.
The unemployed 47-year-old said he had planted the bomb in the third tier of the auditorium because he didn't like Shakin' Stevens, who was performing at the time.
The bomb hoax disrupted Shakin' Stevens' concert in Tunbridge Wells
Police evacuated the theatre during the interval and scoured the venue for the bomb.
When nothing was found, fans of 'Shaky', whose hits include 'Merry Christmas Everyone', 'This Ole House' and 'Green Door', were allowed back inside to listen to the rest of the concert.
Officers later traced the phone used to make the hoax call to an address in Tunbridge Wells, where Starbuck was arrested on suspicion of causing a bomb hoax.
He appeared in court on Friday, where he pleaded guilty to communicating false information.
He was remanded in custody until sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court, a date for which has not yet been set.
Kent Police say last week's incident is not related to two hoax bombs planted in Canterbury in August.
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KentOnline reporter