Weapons stash and bomb manual found in terror raid
Court told accused was in possession of details about local mosques
A MAN suspected of planning terror attacks kept weapons at his home as well as a book containing instructions on how to make bombs, a court heard.
Detective Sergeant David Crowther told a jury yesterday how he and colleagues searched Connor Ward’s house in Banff on November 21, 2014.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the officers found a stun gun disguised as a torch, knuckledusters and knives at the property in the town’s Whinhill Crescent.
DS Crowther added that the team also discovered a device in Ward’s house that appeared to be able to jam mobile phone signals.
He also said detectives recovered a machine which could be used to scan rooms for hidden listening devices.
The police also recovered a Nokia mobile phone which was being kept in a safe in a bedroom and a laptop.
They also found a book called the Anarchist’s Cookbook, which contained information on how to make explosive devices.
DS Crowther said officers recovered booklets that contained passwords which Ward used to access websites.
Jurors were shown the password for his Google account, which was Combat18. When prosecution lawyer Richard Goddard asked DS Crowther what Combat18 stood for, he replied: “It’s a group who have extreme right-wing views and are involved in violence.”
Jurors were also shown the “gamertag” for Ward’s XBox Live account. It read G3stapoOffic3r.
DS Crowther was giving evidence on the first day of proceedings against the 25-year-old, who is facing two charges.
Yesterday, he told Mr Goddard how he and his colleagues attended Ward’s mother Joyce’s home that morning.
He said they were searching for a stun gun and other weapons.
The court heard that Joyce directed him to a bedroom where he found a rucksack and a hold-all containing “martial arts
I asked if he had a stun gun or other weapons and he said ‘Yes’ DS CROWTHER
style weapons.”
Officers then went to Ward’s house in Whinhill Crescent. DS Crowther said: “I explained we had a search warrant and I asked if he had a stun gun or other weapons. He said, ‘Yes’.
Ward showed the police officers a bag in his bedroom which appeared to contain a torch.
The policeman said: “I asked him what it was and he said it was a stun gun.”
During the search of Ward’s mother’s house, knuckledusters were found that had been addressed to Ward but sent to his mum’s house. One was a copy of the Batman symbol.
Jurors were then shown excerpts from The Anarchist’s Cookbook. One chapter was entitled Explosives and Booby Traps.
It gave instructions to make devices including a “Molotov cocktail” and a home-made grenade. Prosecutors allege that between February 26, 2011, and November 21, 2014, Ward intended to carry out acts of terrorism.
He is said to have created an electronic document called “Combat 18 British Mosque Address Book”, containing a map showing the location of mosques in the city of Aberdeen.
Prosecutors say he created, downloaded and saved electronic files on to devices including flash drives.
DS Crowther told defence advocate Drew McKenzie that he and a colleague attended Ward’s home in September last year.
During the visit, he asked Ward if he could inspect packages in the property but the accused refused.
He told DS Crowther the packages contained items to be used for “self defence” purposes.
Ward denies breaching the Terrorism Act 2000 and Terrorism Act 2006.