A 16-year-old boy accused of amassing an arsenal of weapons to prepare for a terrorist attack on a synagogue stored Nazi memorabilia in his bedroom, a court has heard.
Bedroom Arsenal and Neo-Nazi Links
Leeds Crown Court was told on Wednesday that the teenager, who cannot be named, was filled with 'hate and racism'. He had allegedly joined the banned neo-Nazi paramilitary group The Base, which encourages followers to start a race war.
Jurors were shown images of his bedroom in a Northumberland cottage, which he shared with his father. The room contained an air rifle on the wall and an air shotgun with the phrases 'natural selection' and 'George Floyd' scrawled on its barrel. A crossbow was found on a shelf.
Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC said: 'He believed in a race war, in white supremacy and he planned to carry out acts of terrorism in furtherance of his beliefs.'
Disturbing Diary Entries and Research
The court heard police found a diary in which the teen, bullied at school, expressed violent fantasies. In one entry from 30 January 2023, when he was 13, he wrote of his hatred for school and wanting to do 'horrible things' to people, suggesting some 'should be shot'.
He had compiled a 'Mass Murder Ranking', listing terrorists he admired:
- Anders Breivik (77 killed in Norway): 'Ultimately he the best he killed the most amount of people.'
- Columbine shooters Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris (14 killed): 'They had an amazing plan but they could've and should've killed more.'
Evidence showed that after turning 15 in December 2024, he purchased potassium nitrate powder and watched videos on making explosives. He researched Brenton Tarrant, the Christchurch mosque attacker, and then looked up a synagogue in Newcastle as a potential target.
Arrest and Charges
The youth was arrested in February last year at his home while wearing his school uniform. Detective Sergeant Jonathan Garrad said the boy put his head in his hands and shook his head after his arrest.
Items found in his room included:
- Five knives
- Two military tactical vests and helmets
- Two skull masks
- A German military jacket
- A Nazi SS officer's cap
The teenager denies all charges, which include preparing acts of terrorism, membership of a proscribed organisation, and possession of terrorist documents. The trial continues.
