Mosque plot accused’s mum told police he was ‘infatuated with Hitler’

A MAN accused of plotting to attack a mosque was a loner with an ‘infatuation with Hitler’, his mother told police.

Joyce Imrie, 50, told officers investigating her son Sam, 24, that he had shaved his head because of his interest in the Nazi dictator.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Mrs Imrie made the comments following Imrie’s arrest in Glenrothes, Fife, in July 2019. Imrie was detained after allegedly posting comments on messaging app Telegram in which he said he was going to attack Fife Islamic Centre in Glenrothes.

Jurors heard Mrs Imrie told police why he had cut his hair two years earlier. She told officers: ‘I think he had shaved his head because of his infatuation with Hitler.’

The evidence emerged yesterday, the second day of proceedings against Imrie, who denies terrorism offences. Mrs Imrie told the court her son had ‘mental health difficulties’ and had attempted suicide.

The home carer told Jim Keegan, QC, defending: ‘He got bluelighted to hospital. It was a death by vodka type of thing.’

Mrs Imrie also said her son had come to the attention of police as a boy after writing what she thought was ‘F*** Moslems’ on a bus stop. She added: ‘It got referred to a children’s panel but nothing happened.’ Mrs Imrie told police he was a ‘loner who rarely leaves his room. He has no friends that I know of.’ She also told the court, as he was arrested at her house: ‘He said, “Aw mum, I’ve done something stupid. I’ve pretended to set a mosque on fire.”’

The court also heard that Imrie posted on social media that he had written to Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik.

He made the claim to a group on Telegram called FashWave Artists, which, the court was told, contained material which displayed ‘hatred’ of Jewish and Muslim people.

Imrie also posted: ‘All my heroes are mass murderers.’ Detective Constable Jonathan Leitch, 34, said Imrie’s username was ‘Deleted’. The court

‘He rarely leaves his room’

was told Imrie posted: ‘I wrote him [Breivik] a letter recently, just like St Tarrant.’

St Tarrant referred to Brenton Tarrant, the court heard, whose terror attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019 left 51 people dead.

Imrie has pleaded not guilty to nine charges.

Prosecutor Lisa Gillespie, QC, told jurors police found weapons at Imrie’s home in Glenrothes on July 6, 2019.

It is claimed Imrie possessed ‘Nazi, neo-Nazi, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic and other racist’ texts that ‘glorified terrorism’.

He is said to have driven to the Fife Islamic Centre, in Poplar Road, while in possession of a can of petrol.

The trial, before judge Lord Mulholland, continues.