House blast accused 'complacent' with explosives

A man has told a court he caused an explosion at his home after he got "complacent" with explosive substances.

Matthew Haydon, 48, injured his hands and chest in Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, on 10 April last year.

He is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of causing an explosion likely to endanger life or property.

Giving evidence in his defence, Mr Haydon said: "If you don't give that substance the respect it is due it will turn around and bite you. And that's what happened - I got complacent."

The defendant said he had been encouraged by a Job Centre to start his own business and had been looking at setting up a pest control company.

He said he also had a "love of explosives", but could not find a way of doing that while legitimately making a living.

Mr Haydon said he had been conducting experiments using a glass microwave plate.

He said he was hoping to use a new microscope to examine a high explosive and had poured 40 grams of the substance on to the dish.

However, he had left a "few crumbs" of another explosive on the plate, which was in his hand at the time.

He told the jury: "I didn't at the time see any risks at all.

"I started looking at it and with the spatula, moved something and tapped the plate and that was it.

"When something like that goes off in your hand, my whole arm was completely numb and there was a very loud ringing.

"I couldn't hear, I was trying to shout and couldn't hear myself shouting.

"I couldn't see, I dropped to my knees."

The court heard that neighbours heard a "loud, thudding boom" and felt their house shake and saw the defendant's window had smashed.

Mr Haydon said he had decided to be "entirely honest" about what happened and told the jury he should have worn protective clothing.

The court heard the defendant has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which manifests itself in obsessive interests.

He has accepted mixing chemicals that caused an explosion, but has denied that the level was sufficient to endanger life or property.

The trial continues.

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