Chef 'wanted to bomb Gatwick'

Jose Pestana had a grudge against Garfunkels, the court heard

A Portuguese chef planned to bomb Gatwick Airport after a row over a £1m compensation claim, a court heard.

Jose Pestana, 41, threatened to use a bomb to kill the manager of the airport's Garfunkels restaurant, Lewes Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

He was angry after having a £1m claim for compensation refused after hurting his hand when he worked there, the trial heard.

When Sussex Police raided his flat five miles away in Crawley they found a home-made bomb hidden under his bed.

Mr Pestana, who is originally from the Portuguese island of Madeira, has denied two charges under the Terrorism Act.

He felt very considerable bitterness against Garfunkels Walton Hornsby, prosecuting

The court heard the device found at his flat in March consisted of two paper tubes filled with firework powder, strapped to two butane gas cylinders and a fuse.

The area around his flat in Langley Parade, Crawley, had to be evacuated and army bomb disposal experts called in to make the bomb safe.

Army experts said the device was capable of causing a grenade-like explosion.

'Gross disappointment'

The court heard Mr Pestana injured his right hand working as a chef at Garfunkels in December 1995.

He asked for £1m in compensation, but was given just £22,500 and later sacked, the jury was told.

Walton Hornsby, prosecuting, said: "It was clear it was a gross disappointment to him. He felt very let down by his employer.

"These thoughts were festering in his mind to the extent that he felt very considerable bitterness against Garfunkels.

Police evacuated 25 homes in the area around the flat

"Mr Pestana made a number of threats that he would, in particular, plant a bomb at Garfunkels and kill the manager and the people who might be there, and that the police would blame Garfunkels."

Moises De Sousa, who lived with the defendant, told the court how Mr Pestana spoke every night about the situation at Garfunkels.

Mr De Sousa said: "He was in a rage about it, about the situation at Garfunkels.

"He went on and on about the money. He said he had some bombs and that he was going to go to Garfunkels and try and kill the manager.

"He said he was going to go there with the bomb under his coat and set it off."

Mr De Sousa, who was speaking through an interpreter, said: "We did not take him seriously.

"We never saw any bombs. One time when he said he had bombs we searched the flat.

"We looked under the staircase but we found nothing."

Mr Pestana denies unlawfully and maliciously having explosive substances with intent to endanger life and a further charge of possession of explosive substances.

The trial continues.