A British teenager was slapped with a six-month sentence after using a bomb hoax as an excuse for his brother to get out of work early.
According to the Daily Mail, Luke Brown called authorities and claimed that there was a bomb set to go off at a local shopping mall within the next few hours.
Brown’s threat prompted police to search the mall and they were able to deem the area safe without evacuating anyone.
After the sweep, the 18-year-old was tracked down and arrested for the hoax which law enforcement condemned as “astonishing” in its “stupidity,” the Eastern Daily Press noted.
On Friday, a judge also blasted the teen for his stunt and ordered that he spend six months in a young offenders institution.
“People must learn that you cannot send out bomb hoaxes because if you do you will end up in prison,” Judge Stephen Holt said.
When questioned, Brown admitted that he made up the bomb scare so his brother, who worked at Burger King, could get off of his shift early.