Man who broke into synagogue, leaving blood everywhere and threatening to blow it up, spared jail

A man who broke into a synagogue, leaving blood everywhere and threatening to blow up the building, has been spared jail.

Andrew Prendergast, 47, broke into Blackpool Reform Synagogue on 19th November 2019, leaving his blood strewn across walls, offices and the prayer hall. He had also damaged the alarm in a bid to destroy it.

He told police officers: “synagogue, synagogue, f***ing blow them up. We don’t want them f***ers over here. I’m f***ing English and f***ing proud,” reportedly admitting to them that burglary was religiously motivated.

Mr Prendergast pleaded guilty to burglary and racially aggravated criminal damage and appeared at Preston Crown Court to be sentenced. According to the defence, he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and a breakdown and was on drugs at the time.

Despite his reported admissions, Judge Beverley Lunt determined that the offence was not a hate crime and declined to imprison him so that he could seek help with his mental health problems.

Mr Prendergast was sentenced to eight months consecutively for burglary and racially aggravated criminal damage suspended for two years, and was ordered to carry out 50 rehabilitation days and a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement.