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Man killed in pipe bomb stunt (Put homemade bomb in mouth to impress girlfriend)
BBC News ^ | 5.7.03

Posted on 05/07/2003 8:38:35 PM PDT by mhking

A Northamptonshire man who was fascinated with explosives blew himself up after putting a home-made pipe bomb in his mouth and lighting the fuse, an inquest has heard.

Kevin Barnes, 20, of Joseph Priestly Court in Daventry, took the device into his mouth and flicked a lighter as his petrified flatmates and girlfriend looked on.

The bomb, which might have been created using instructions from a book on explosives, then blew up, causing him serious head injuries, and he died on the same day - 13 July, 2002.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Northamptonshire Coroner Anne Pember said she was satisfied he had not intended to take his own life.

She said complications from a risky medical procedure meant to save him contributed to his death.

Mr Barnes was described as a risk-taker with a history of harming himself and the inquest heard he had a short temper.

His girlfriend, Elizabeth Elliot, said: "My opinion was that Kevin was mucking about but didn't actually mean for the pipe bomb to go off.

"People threatened to go to the police about it but Kevin was Kevin; nobody had the guts to."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: darwin; oops
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1 posted on 05/07/2003 8:38:35 PM PDT by mhking
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To: Howlin; Ed_NYC; MonroeDNA; widgysoft; Springman; Timesink; dubyaismypresident; Grani; coug97; ...
Yet another happy Darwin winner!

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

2 posted on 05/07/2003 8:38:59 PM PDT by mhking
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To: mhking
Darwin Award!
3 posted on 05/07/2003 8:42:54 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
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To: mhking
He clearly made a serious mistake. A small (1' long) pipe bomb can send debris 10' into the air. His head should have disappeared the instant it detonated.
4 posted on 05/07/2003 8:43:58 PM PDT by Djarum
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To: Paleo Conservative
Absolutely a lock for one of the top rankings in the Darwin Awards. Could be the top prize winner. Hopefully his life insurance policy does not exclude an early demise caused by a pipe bomb.
5 posted on 05/07/2003 8:45:24 PM PDT by carl in alaska (Let's pray for the birth of democracy in Iraq.)
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To: mhking
I take it homemade explosives haven't been outlawed here in the UK yet...
6 posted on 05/07/2003 8:45:38 PM PDT by Prodigal Son
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To: mhking
Once in a while, I have renewed hope for the human race. Then something like this happens.
7 posted on 05/07/2003 8:47:38 PM PDT by July 4th
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To: mhking
While in the process of taking his own life (what a stupid idiot) there obviously was no damage to his brain; as there was no brain to damage.
8 posted on 05/07/2003 8:49:00 PM PDT by Oorang
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To: mhking
"People threatened to go to the police about it but Kevin was Kevin; nobody had the guts to."

And Kevin didn't--doesn't--have the brains to.

9 posted on 05/07/2003 8:49:01 PM PDT by Charles Henrickson
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To: mhking
"My opinion was that Kevin was mucking about. . . ."

His muck is all over the place now.

10 posted on 05/07/2003 8:49:47 PM PDT by Charles Henrickson
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To: mhking; general_re; BlueLancer; Poohbah; Larry Lucido; johniegrad; Chancellor Palpatine; ...
Mr Barnes was described as a risk-taker with a history of harming himself and the inquest heard he had a short temper fuse.
11 posted on 05/07/2003 8:50:10 PM PDT by dighton (Amen-Corner Hatchet Team, Nasty Little Clique, Vulgar Horde)
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To: mhking
Gene pool improvement alert.
12 posted on 05/07/2003 8:50:17 PM PDT by Beck_isright (If France actually won a war that mattered, would the world come to an end?)
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To: Paleo Conservative
Cleaner gene pool, hope the girl friend wasn't pregnant.
13 posted on 05/07/2003 8:51:30 PM PDT by Licensed-To-Carry (They run into our machine guns and we shoot them down like the morons they are.)
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To: Prodigal Son
>>I take it homemade explosives haven't been outlawed here in the UK yet...<<


They are outlawed only if used in the protection of self, others, or on your private property.

DK
14 posted on 05/07/2003 8:52:02 PM PDT by Dark Knight
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To: carl in alaska
This guy is going to be hard to beat for this year's Darwin Award.
15 posted on 05/07/2003 8:52:21 PM PDT by Billy_bob_bob ("He who will not reason is a bigot;He who cannot is a fool;He who dares not is a slave." W. Drummond)
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To: mhking
What was left of his head to perform "a risky medical procedure" on?

Sounds like he should have had a lobotomy years ago.

Leni

16 posted on 05/07/2003 8:53:48 PM PDT by MinuteGal (THIS JUST IN ! Astonishing fare reduction for FReeps Ahoy Cruise! Check it out, pronto!)
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To: dighton; aculeus; mhking; BlueLancer; Poohbah
On the other hand, I bet his girlfriend was extremely impressed - most guys just don't have what it takes to get really good cranial hang time...
17 posted on 05/07/2003 8:54:37 PM PDT by general_re (Ask me about my vow of silence!)
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To: mhking
What is the British equivalent for "Hey, y'all! Watch this!"?
18 posted on 05/07/2003 8:55:33 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: July 4th
In his sad case it would have been a shame if this pathetic creature lived.
19 posted on 05/07/2003 8:55:36 PM PDT by spectre
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To: mhking
Gonna have to make some more Darwin trophies this year I see.
20 posted on 05/07/2003 8:57:52 PM PDT by MeekMom ((HUGE Ann Coulter Fan!!!) (Life-long Python Addict))
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