A “dangerous” man obsessed with explosives, who once asked to throw a grenade on TV show Jim’ll Fix It, has been jailed for causing an explosion at his family’s home.

Matthew Haydon, 48, suffered injuries to his hands and chest in the explosion in Loring Road, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, on April 10, 2023.

Jailing him at the Old Bailey for four and a half years with an extended license period of four years, Judge Johnson said Haydon knew the dangers of what he was doing but was “prepared to take that risk”.

He said notes and drawings found in his cell showed Haydon’s obsession with explosives and explosions had continued while he was in prison, and told him: “In short, you are dangerous.”

The explosion happened at Haydon’s mother’s house, the family home for 45 years.

He had transformed a room into a makeshift laboratory and conducted extensive research on how to make explosives.

Neighbors described feeling their house shake during the explosion and one was still suffering from stress and anxiety, the judge said.

They had to be evacuated during the operation by the army and police due to the amount of chemicals Haydon had “randomly” amassed.

The court heard Haydon’s motivation was “misguided curiosity” and “personal fascination” rather than murderous intent.

The judge said he was satisfied that Haydon had not caused the explosion for terrorist purposes.

A jury returned a guilty verdict by a majority of 11 to one after deliberating for six hours and 40 minutes at the Old Bailey in April.

During sentencing, the judge said Haydon had always had an obsession with explosives and explosions and that as a child he wrote to Jim’ll Fix It asking him to throw a grenade by hand.

“You have synthesized compounds that are extremely sensitive, extremely unstable and extremely dangerous,” he said.

“You knew what you were doing and knew the dangers of high explosives, you foresaw the possibility of causing an explosion and you were prepared to take that risk.”

In mitigation, defense barrister Adam King described Haydon as an “affable and kind man” who had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

“He knows he did something wrong. He understands and won’t do it again,” Mr. King added.

The judge issued orders prohibiting Haydon from creating chemical explosions or improvised explosive devices at his home or in public, or from acquiring chemicals that could be used in making homemade explosives.

Detective Inspector Rich Stott, of Bedfordshire Police’s major crime unit, said: “A residential bedroom is not the appropriate place to store or experiment with materials of this nature.

“It was a dangerous obsession that could very easily have cost him his life and the lives of those around him.”

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• Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service