“Your bomb-making days are over:” Judge

PENTICTON – A Penticton man who made a pipe bomb that accidentally exploded in June will pay a fine, rather than serve time in prison.

Matthew Steven Nason, born in 1976, was charged with making an explosive and dangerously storing firearms. The homemade pipe bomb he constructed using “highly volatile explosives” exploded on June 5, 2014 in the backyard of Nason’s residence on Windsor Avenue. The heat from the sun caused the bomb to explode, putting a hole in the fence and sending shrapnel into the window of the downstairs tenant.

No one was hurt, but a bomb squad from Vancouver was brought in to investigate the situation on June 6. After a warrant to search the house was issued, the squad found improperly stored firearms and a number of chemicals used to make the bombs.

Crown prosecutor John Swanson said there was no ulterior criminal purpose for the bombs—Nason had been interested in explosives for some time and researched online how to make one himself.

“If there was a charge for criminal stupidity we would have tried to lay it in this case,” Swanson said.

“And he would have pled guilty,” said defence lawyer, Bob Maxwell.

Provincial Judge Gale Sinclair sentenced Nason to a $1,000 fine and no jail time, however he will be on probation for three years, and be banned from using firearms for ten years.

“Your bomb-making days are over,” Sinclair said.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.