From 1994 to 1998, a man named Edgar Pearce went on a crime spree wherein he spent several years blackmailing and terrorising various establishments in the UK. He did so via homemade bombs, which he sent out across the county. These would later be dubbed the Mardi Gra bombings, as Pearce left behind calling cards that read: 'Welcome to the Mardi Gra experience'.
Pearce’s extortion has not been reported on as much as other crimes in the United Kingdom. However, those affected by his crimes deserve to have their story told, so let’s dive deeper into the case of the Mardi Gra bombings.
Who is Edgar Pearce?
Hailing from Leyton in East London, Edgar Pearce initially went to a preparatory school in Oxford called Nelson House. He attended this school at age 11. However, his parents were unable to keep up with the hefty fees. At 14, he returned home and transferred to Norlington Boys School in Leyton. Pearce didn’t stay at the school for long though. At 16, he left school and opted for a job in advertising.
By 1994, Pearce was 61 years old, divorced and unemployed, but living in Chiswick in west London, an area known for its affluence. His thoughts turned to pulling off the perfect crime, so much so that he became obsessed with the idea. This desire led him to concoct a scheme that would become the Mardi Gra bombings.
What were the Mardi Gra bombings?
On 6th December 1994, Pearce decided to target six London branches of the UK bank Barclays with homemade bombs following a dispute with them. Two of the six planted bombs exploded. No one was killed, but two staff members at the banks were hurt.
He didn’t return to his bombing spree until May 1995. From then on, he continued to send out bombs to various places in the UK. These locations ranged from branches of the supermarket Sainsbury's to random telephone boxes.
Here are all the locations that Pearce sent his bombs to:
- 6th December 1994: Six branches of Barclays in London. The locations were Hampstead, Hammersmith, Earls Court, Paddington, Ladbroke Grove and Kensington.
- 19th May 1995: Private address in Cambridge.
- 9th June 1995: Pub in Chiswick, west London.
- 10th June 1995: Camera shop in Dymchurch in Romney Marsh, Kent.
- 20th June 1995: Barclaycard Headquarters in Northampton.
- 5th July 1995: Barclays bank in Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire.
- 14th July 1995: Private address in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
- 15th July 1995: Private address in Richmond, Surrey
- 19th August 1995: Private address in Welling, Kent.
- 12 September 1995: An office in Whitton, Middlesex.
- 27th September 1995: An office in Woolwich, southeast London.
- 2nd October 1995: Rymans store in Chiswick, west London.
- 24th October 1995: Telephone box in Welling, Kent.
- 20th November 1995: Telephone box in Eltham, southeast London.
- 12th December 1995: Private address in Southall, west London.
- 19th December 1995: Telephone box in Acton, west London.
- 30th January 1996: Barclays bank in Ealing, west London.
- 5th February 1996: Barclays bank in Eltham, southeast London.
- 20th April 1996: Barclays bank in Ealing, west London.
- 15th November 1997: Three branches of Sainsbury's supermarket, two in Middlesex (in Ruislip and Greenford) and one in Ealing.
- 18th November 1997: Two branches of Sainsbury's supermarket, one in Lee Green, southeast London, and one in Chislehurst, Kent.
- 6th December 1997: Sainsbury's supermarket in Ealing.
The police believed that Pearce was inspired by American domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber.
The arrest
The police arrested Pearce on 28th April 1998, after an elaborate sting set up to capture him. The sting involved establishing surveillance teams and cameras and recruiting the National Crime Squad.
The plan was to capture Pearce with the bank account he was using to receive extortion money as the Mardi Gra Bomber. The account was linked to a computer in Scotland Yard. When it was accessed, an alarm sounded to inform the police. Pearce immediately fell into the trap and was caught within an hour.
The aftermath
Pearce was sentenced to 21 years in jail for his crimes, but he has since been released. Not much is known about his whereabouts or whether he is even still alive. Despite his bombs being crudely made, with most not working, Pearce’s behaviour tormented thousands of people. Many lived in fear of being targeted or caught up in a bomb detonation. Only one person was seriously hurt by his schemes, but the trauma faced by the victims and their families is still prevalent to this day.
