What happened to Nail Bomber David Copeland? Where he is now
Netflix documentary Nail Bomber: Manhunt details the three London nail bomb attacks in 1999, carried out by David Copeland.
Netflix’s new true-crime documentary Nail Bomber: Manhunt looks at the three bombings that took place in London in the spring of 1999.
One man – 22-year-old David Copeland – targeted London’s Black, Bangladeshi and LGBTQ+ communities, setting off bombs on three successive weekends in the capital.
His home made nail bombs in Brixton, Brick Lane in the East End, and the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho, injured 140 people and killed three. Within hours of the final bomb exploding, he was arrested and confessed to the attacks.
But why did David Copeland detonate the bombs? Did he work alone or was he part of a terrorism group? And where is he now?
Here's everything you need to know.
Who is David Copeland?
David Copeland was 22-years old when he carried out the three London bombings. Born in Hounslow and raised in Hampshire, he had various jobs after leaving school, before working alongside his mechanical engineer father on the Jubilee Line extension rail project.
His father, Steven Copeland, said, “He did very well at school. He was fairly intelligent. He was just a normal boy, into football and mini-rugby. He was not moody or withdrawn.”
It emerged during David Copeland’s trial that he has been a member of the British National Party (BNP), but had quit because he did not believe the far-right group was hardline enough. He later joined the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement.
When Copeland was arrested, it was reported that his room was a shrine to his neo-Nazi beliefs. When questioned by police, he made a full confession, which was obtained by Panorama for broadcast.
“My main intent was to spread fear, resentment and hatred throughout this country,” he said. “My aim was political. It was to cause a racial war in this country. There’d be a backlash from the ethnic minorities, then all the white people will go out and vote BNP.”
What did David Copeland do?
Copeland made nail bombs to carry out his attacks in London. According to a report in the Daily Telegraph in 2000, he spent £1500 on fireworks, removing the flash powder and other bomb components before following instructions he found online on how to build bombs.
On Saturday 17th April 1999, he took the first one, hidden in a blue sports bag, to the crowded Brixton market in South London. The bag contained hundreds of four-inch nails and explosives taken from fireworks. After a market trader spotted someone acting suspiciously, the abandoned bag was moved and police were called, but it exploded as they arrived, injuring more than 40 people, including a toddler.
Copeland followed this bombing with two more. He took his second bomb, again in a bag, to the Brick Lane area of East London and left it in Hanbury Street on Saturday 24th April. A concerned local saw the bag and put it in his car with the intention of taking it to the local police station, but while in the car the bomb exploded, damaging nearby cars and windows and injuring 13 people.
The final bomb exploded on Friday 30th April at the busy Admiral Duncan pub in Old Compton Street in London’s West End. The pub’s manager, Mark Taylor, had just spotted the bag – which contained more than 500 nails – when it went off. He survived, but three people were killed and 79 were injured.
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Where is David Copeland now?
On 30th June 2000, David Copeland was convicted at the Old Bailey on three counts of murder, for the deaths of pregnant Andrea Dykes, 27, John Light, 32, and Nik Moore, 31, at the Admiral Duncan pub. He was also found guilty of planting the bombs and was given six life sentences.
“Anyone who has heard the facts of this case will be appalled and horrified at the atrocity of your crimes,” Judge Michael Hyam, QC, told him during sentencing. “The evidence shows you were motivated by virulent hatred and pitiless contempt for other people.”
Copeland was initially taken to the high security Broadmoor Hospital, and was later transferred to HM Prison Belmarsh in 2004.
In 2007, the High Court ruled he should remain in prison for at least 50 years. In June 2014, Copeland attacked a fellow prisoner with a weapon made from razor blades and was found guilty of wounding with intent. He was sentenced to a further three years in prison for the assault.
Nail Bomber: Manhunt drops on Netflix on Wednesday 26th May. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide. Visit our Documentaries hub for all the latest news.
