Lankan asylum seeker wanted to ‘suicide bomb’ a UK train

A Sri Lankan arrested in the UK in April this year had wanted to ‘suicide bomb’ a train.

He was however calmly told by a worker at the time that he couldn’t get on the train without a ticket, the Daily Mail reported.

Sureshkumar Thurairajah, 44, wore a bulging anorak zipped up to his neck and a baseball cap covering part of his face at Liverpool’s Lime Street Station.

When asked if he had a ticket at the underground station’s barriers he told Merseyrail worker David Evans: ‘I want to suicide bomb the train.’

But a judge praised Mr Evans’ cool response. Judge Anil Murray said: ‘In the present climate where bombs are used to cause terror, the very threat to use a bomb, whether real or not, is likely to cause fear and panic.

‘Thankfully Mr Evans remained calm. He told you that you couldn’t get on the platform without a ticket, then contacted police who approached, searched you and there was in fact no bomb.’

Thurairajah was arrested at the station by British Transport Police at around 3.20pm on April 1 this year.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the Sri Lankan earlier suffered a breakdown after collapsing and being taken to hospital when told of his failed asylum bid.

Gareth Roberts, prosecuting, said Thurairajah told police officers he wanted to throw himself in front of a train.

He later explained he heard voices in his head and wanted to kill himself and was taken to hospital for treatment.

He later tried to change his guilty plea, but the application was rejected after a two-day hearing.

Eric Lamb, defending, said his client left Sri Lanka where he was accused of being part of the Tamil Tigers terrorist group.