Nail Bomber: Manhunt true story – how far-right terrorist David Copeland was caught
A new Netflix documentary revisits the 1999 London bombings and the man behind them.
Nail Bomber: Manhunt is Netflix’s true crime documentary about the nail bomb attacks which took place in London in the spring of 1999.
Over three weekends, homemade nail bombs were detonated in London – at Brixton Market, Brick Lane in the East End, and at the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho, killing three people and wounding 140.
The documentary, which is on the streaming site from Wednesday 26th May, tells the story of how one far-right extremist targeted London’s Black, Bangladeshi and LGBTQ+ communities, how he was caught, and how London’s communities came together to overcome the tragedies.
Nail Bomber: Manhunt true story
In April 1999, three nail bombs were detonated in London. The first was placed in a sports bag that was left at Brixton Market on a busy Saturday afternoon. When it exploded, it injured more than 40 people, including a 23-month-old baby boy.
The following Saturday, a bag full of four-inch nails exploded in Brick Lane, injuring 13 people – the only reason more people weren’t injured was that a passer-by picked up the suspicious bag and placed it in his car to take it to the police station before the bomb exploded inside the vehicle.
The third bomb, planted in the Admiral Duncan pub in Old Compton Street, Soho, was the most devastating. It exploded on Friday 30th April inside the popular pub, killing three people and injuring more than 70 others, some of whom suffered life changing injuries.
All three bombs were the work of one man: David Copeland. A far right supporter and member of the BNP, he was just 22 years old when he carried out the attacks.
His bombs, hidden in sports bags, were made up of nails, the flash powder from fireworks and other bomb components – and were put together from instructions he found online on how to build bombs.
During questioning, he made a full confession and explained his reasons for carrying out the attacks: “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.”
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Nail Bomber case timeline
Saturday 17th April 1999 – A nail bomb explodes at Electric Avenue in Brixton, London at 5:25pm. 48 people are injured.
Monday 19th April 1999 – An extreme right wing group called Combat 18 claim responsibility for the Brixton nail bomb attack.
Saturday 23rd April 1999 – Shortly after 5:45pm, a bomb explodes in Brick Lane, East London, damaging cars and buildings and injuring 13 people.
Thursday 29th April 1999 – CCTV footage from the Brixton bombing is shown on TV, with an image of the suspected bomber featured. The photo is also given to the press, and features in Friday’s newspapers.
Friday 30th April 1999 – 5pm (approx)– Paul Mifsud calls the anti-terrorist squad to tell them he recognises the man in the photo, and that the man's name is David Copeland.
6:37pm – A bomb explodes inside the Admiral Duncan pub in London’s Soho. Three people are killed and 79 injured.
9pm (approx) – Two hours after the bombing, a far-right group called the White Wolves calls the BBC claiming responsibility for the attacks.
Around this time, the police obtain an address for David Copeland and begin to plan a raid on his house.
Saturday 1st May 1999 – In the early hours of Saturday, officers from Scotland Yard’s Flying Squad arrest Copeland at his home in Sunnybank Road, Cove, in Hampshire. He confesses to the bombings.
Friday 30thJune 2000 – David Copeland is found guilty and sentenced to six life terms at the Old Bailey, with a minimum sentence of 30 years.
Friday 2nd March 2007 – High Court Judge Mr Justice Burton announces, due to new legislation, that Copeland’s minimum sentence will be increased to 50 years.
Monday 27th June 2011 – David Copeland loses a court appeal asking to reduce his minimum sentence.
Thursday 29th October 2015 – Following an attack on a fellow prisoner at HMP Belmarsh in June 2014, Copeland is sentenced to an additional three years in prison.
How was David Copeland caught?
Copeland was captured on CCTV footage from the Brixton attack, and the image was widely circulated in the media.
One of his co-workers, Paul Mifsud, recognised Copeland in a newspaper on Friday 30th April 1999 but wasn’t completely sure it was him. In a 2000 Panorama interview, he remembered what happened next: “I bought all the daily papers and I started looking through them all, and some of the pictures just didn’t look like him,” he said. “I went in the garden and saw my wife and I said, ‘If you asked me what David looked like, I’d have to say like that,’ and I showed her the picture. I said, 'yYou know, what shall I do?' And she said, ‘Ring the Anti-Terrorist Squad immediately.’ I walked straight in and rang them.”
According to reports, Mifsud’s call to police came just 80 minutes before the bomb Copeland had placed at the Admiral Duncan pub exploded. However, police were quick to act on the tip-off and by 9pm were preparing to travel to Copeland’s address in Hampshire to question him – although Panorama reporter Graeme McLagan commented in his June 2000 documentary that they did not at that time consider Copeland a prime suspect.
“The officers are unarmed. There is no back-up. Their target is not a prime suspect,” McLagan said. “But in an upstairs room they find their man. They also find he has a cupboard full of explosives. Taken by surprise, they arrest him and hastily seal the room.”
Police also found a room full of far-right memorabilia. During his arrest, Copeland confessed to the three bombings.
Nail Bomber: Manhunt arrives on Netflix on 26th May. If you're looking for more to watch, visit our TV Guide, and check out our Documentaries hub for all the latest news.
