Edgar Pearce
Encyclopedia
Edgar Eugene Pearce is a British
convicted extortion
ist and bomber, who was convicted of the Mardi Gra bombings after admitting a three-year blackmail and terror campaign in the London
area between December 1994 and April 1998.
Pearce was labeled the Mardi Gra bomber because he often left a calling card
containing the phrase "Welcome to the Mardi Gra experience."
Pearce grew up in Leyton
, London, and was apparently a bright child. At the age of 11 he went to Nelson House preparatory school
in Oxford
and his parents hoped that this would be their son's key to a better life. But they were unable to pay the fees, and three years later he came back to the family home and attended Norlington Boys' School in Leyton. Pearce attended there for two years before leaving, at age 16, to go into the advertising industry.
The bombings targeted branches of Barclays Bank after he had a dispute with the bank and later Sainsbury's supermarkets, in the hope of obtaining money from each company. Lawyers acting for Pearce claimed he suffers from Binswanger's disease
, a rare form of dementia
that can change the way people think.
On 14 April 1999, he was convicted of 20 charges including causing an explosion, possessing firearms and wounding, and was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment
.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
convicted extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
ist and bomber, who was convicted of the Mardi Gra bombings after admitting a three-year blackmail and terror campaign in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
area between December 1994 and April 1998.
Pearce was labeled the Mardi Gra bomber because he often left a calling card
Calling card
Calling card may refer to:* Visiting card, a card originally used socially to signify a visit made to a house if the occupant were absent, or as an introduction for oneself; the precursor to the modern business card...
containing the phrase "Welcome to the Mardi Gra experience."
Pearce grew up in Leyton
Leyton
Leyton is an area of north-east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, located north east of Charing Cross. It borders Walthamstow and Leytonstone; Stratford in Newham; and Homerton and Lower Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney....
, London, and was apparently a bright child. At the age of 11 he went to Nelson House preparatory school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and his parents hoped that this would be their son's key to a better life. But they were unable to pay the fees, and three years later he came back to the family home and attended Norlington Boys' School in Leyton. Pearce attended there for two years before leaving, at age 16, to go into the advertising industry.
The bombings targeted branches of Barclays Bank after he had a dispute with the bank and later Sainsbury's supermarkets, in the hope of obtaining money from each company. Lawyers acting for Pearce claimed he suffers from Binswanger's disease
Binswanger's disease
Binswanger's disease is a form of small vessel vascular dementia caused by damage to the white brain matter. White matter atrophy can be caused by many circumstances including chronic hypertension as well as old age. This disease is characterized by loss of memory and intellectual function and by...
, a rare form of dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
that can change the way people think.
On 14 April 1999, he was convicted of 20 charges including causing an explosion, possessing firearms and wounding, and was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment
Imprisonment
Imprisonment is a legal term.The book Termes de la Ley contains the following definition:This passage was approved by Atkin and Duke LJJ in Meering v Grahame White Aviation Co....
.