Michael Pym-Nixson
(Picture: Met Police)A man who hid explosive substances at his Kingston home has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Michael Pym-Nixson, 54, was caught out after paramedics were called to his home in Kingston-upon-Thames after he burnt himself handling dangerous chemicals.
Pym-Nixson, who was said to have been obsessed with the “breakdown of society”, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday after he previously pleaded guilty to two counts of having an explosive substance at an earlier hearing.
The prosecution also successfully applied for a five-year Serious Crime Prevention Order to begin upon his release from prison.
When paramedics arrived just after 10pm on March 19 last year, the smoke alarm was going off and Pym-Nixson seemed erratic.
He told them he had been sorting through a toolbox and accidentally picked up an old firework. He had received three deep burns to his right hand.
When a paramedic asked to see the firework, he replied: “You don’t need to see that.”
The next day police officers attended Pym-Nixson’s home but he did not let them in and told them the injuries to his hand had been caused by a gas hob.
From 22 March onward, police officers were able to search his home.
The search took six days to complete and officers were accompanied by members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit due to the potentially volatile nature of the substances.
They discovered ingredients used to make Armstrong’s Mixture, a sensitive primary explosive, and black powder, also known as Gunpowder.
When officers asked Pym-Nixson if he had any flammable items or explosives in the property, he claimed he did not and only mentioned a camping stove and paraffin lamp.
But during the search officers found an envelope containing a substance which spontaneously ignited emitting flames and thick smoke while it was being examined.
During police interviews, Pym-Nixson claimed he kept these chemicals in order to prepare as a “survivalist” and to help preserve food for long periods of time.
From all the ingredients seized within the property, 308g of Armstrong’s Mixture could have been made and 6,110g of Gunpowder.
Lauren Doshi, from the CPS, said: “Quite what Michael Pym-Nixson planned to do with these dangerous and explosive chemicals, we may never know.
“What can be said is that he was experimenting with hazardous chemicals inside the uncontrolled setting of his flat in south-west London. These chemicals could have been a real risk and led to serious consequences.
“The investigation uncovered that Pym-Nixson had a YouTube channel which included a playlist with a video of how to make an explosive substance. He also had a notebook of handwritten recipes and hidden inside his shed was a book titled The Do it Yourself Gunpowder Cookbook.
“Faced with the evidence against him he accepted his guilt. It is illegal to possess explosive substances and the CPS will work with the police to keep the public safe by prosecuting those who break the law.”
