Gary Preston Sentenced for Hoax Terror Campaign and 1988 Assault

Gary Preston, 64, receives a total of nine years and six months in prison for his 2013 hoax terror campaign and a separate 1988 indecent assault.

Preston targeted schools, shopping centers, and other public venues across the UK with threatening letters and packages containing talcum powder.
The hoax terror campaign lasted six weeks and caused widespread panic and evacuations.
Preston was arrested in 2020 and linked to the crimes through DNA and fingerprint evidence.
He pleaded guilty to 21 charges of sending a hoax substance and to charges related to a 1988 indecent assault.
The sentences for both the hoax campaign and the assault will be served consecutively.