Hampshire teenager 'used homemade bomb in fence row'

A Hampshire teenager used an improvised explosive device (IED) similar to those seen in Iraq and Afghanistan to blow up a neighbour's car, a court has heard.

Robert White, 19, is accused of placing the bomb by a car owned by neighbours of his aunt and uncle in Bishopstoke.

A row had previously broken out between the aunt and uncle and the neighbours over a broken fence, jurors heard.

At Southampton Crown Court, Mr White denies causing an explosion likely to endanger life.

The explosion sent shrapnel more than 30m (98ft) and caused substantial damage to the Vauxhall Vectra, the court heard.

Fireworks found

Stephen Parish, prosecuting, told the court that Mr White, of Truro Rise, Bishopstoke, near Southampton, had told friends that he planted the bomb because a neighbour had been "harassing" his uncle.

The argument was between Mr White's aunt and uncle, John and Jacqueline Hallett, and their neighbours Yvonne West and Sean Konczak, although Mr White's relatives had nothing to do with the bomb, the court heard.

Mr White is accused of creating the homemade bomb.

Jurors heard that he had handed himself into police and that a subsequent search of his house found fireworks, including a Proton Bomb, a disc saw, pipes and a metal press found to have been used on the actual bomb.

Mr White was also a registered shotgun keeper, the court heard.

The case was adjourned until Tuesday.