A Brazilian man who sparked a major security alert outside the British intelligence headquarters has been sent for sentencing after a magistrate ruled his case too serious for his court. Julian Valente Pereira, 32, was convicted of a bomb hoax following a February trial. He appeared in court expecting to learn his sentence, but Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring instead remanded him in custody, noting the matter was beyond the court’s 12-month sentencing limit.
The incident took place on New Year’s Day, just a day after Pereira learned he faced deportation from the UK. CCTV footage showed him trying to push immigration paperwork through the locked doors at Thames House, the London building housing MI5. He then produced an object made to look like a stick of dynamite, tossing it on the pavement before placing it against the entrance with a green cigarette lighter.
The cylinder, which appeared to have a fuse, prompted a counter-terrorism response. Authorities later found it was made from rolled paper, brown tape, and string. “His culpability is diminished by his mental health, but it’s the diversion of resources and the building chosen that are significant,”. Goldspring said. Police said the hoax pulled resources away from London’s New Year’s Day parade, a factor cited when the case was referred to a higher court for sentencing.
Pereira had entered the UK on a valid work permit in July 2018 but had been living illegally since February 2019. He voluntarily reported himself as an overstayer in October 2020 and later applied for asylum after being told to leave. His asylum housing was revoked after his application was refused, and his final appeal was denied on December 31, 2025 — the day before his protest.
Prosecutor Shannon Revel told the court Pereira wanted “maximum attention” for his grievances against the UK Home Office following repeated failures to secure permission to stay.
During his trial, Pereira claimed the device would not have been mistaken for a real explosive, stating: “The news inside was dynamite.”
The court rejected that claim, finding he intended observers to believe the device was real. On the same day, Pereira also visited Buckingham Palace, tossing a bag containing his immigration ruling and a knife-pierced ID card over the perimeter gates.