Man accused of plotting Islamic centre terror attack

‘Carried out observations’

THE trial of a man accused of plotting an attack on an Islamic centre and amassing a cache of weapons for ‘acts of terrorism’ began yesterday.

Sam Imrie, 24, is alleged to have posted messages online revealing that he planned to attack the Fife Islamic Centre in Glenrothes.

A jury at the High Court in Edinburgh also heard accusations that he claimed he intended to ‘stream live footage’ of an ‘incident’. The court was told Imrie acquired nunchucks, a hammer, a baseball bat, a rifle scope and a ‘quantity of petrol’, which prosecutors believe he possessed with the intention of committing ‘acts of terrorism’.

Prosecutor Lisa Gillespie, QC, said that police found weapons in the bedroom of Imrie’s home in Glenrothes, on July 6, 2019. An axe, a black-handled knife, a lock-knife and a ‘credit card knife’ were also recovered, the court heard. He is also said to have possessed copies of works called the Great Replacement, by Brenton Tarrant and 2083 A European Declaration of Independence, by Anders Breivik.

In addition, prosecutors claim that Imrie possessed a quantity of ‘Nazi, neo-Nazi, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic and other racist’ texts, audio files and texts which ‘glorified terrorism’.

He is said to have driven to the Fife Islamic Centre in Poplar Road, Glenrothes where he ‘carried out observations’ whilst in possession of a can of petrol. It is said that he later posted images of the place of worship to instant messaging website Telegram.

It is also alleged that Imrie then went to St Drostan’s cemetery at Markinch, Fife, and set fire to a property there.

Imrie denies nine charges. As well as those relating to the materials and online posts said to have breached the Terrorism Act 2006, he also faces charges concerning child pornography, possessing ‘extreme’ pornographic material and being found ‘unfit to drive through drink or drugs’ in July 2019. The trial continues.