Race-hate thug faces jail over mosque fire plot
A MAN who planned to burn down a mosque and admitted that he ‘hated Muslims’ is facing jail after being found guilty of terrorism offences.
Sam Imrie was arrested after detectives discovered in July 2019 that he had posted claims on social media that he was planning to attack Fife Islamic Centre in Glenrothes.
During a search of his home, detectives discovered the 24-year-old had acquired weapons which included a combat knife, nunchucks, an axe, a hammer, a rifle scope and a lock knife.
Imrie, who denied any wrongdoing, was yesterday convicted by a jury on two charges of breaching the Terrorism Act, wilful fire-raising, possessing images of child abuse and ‘extreme’ pornography and drink-driving.
Judge Lord Mulholland warned him: ‘Be under no illusion, you have been convicted of very serious offences.
‘You will not be surprised to know that you will be receiving a sentence of some length.’
The trial at the High Court in Edinburgh heard how Imrie began hating Muslims after reading extremist political posts on a website called 8Chan.
Prosecutor Lisa Gillespie told the court how police officers recovered a ‘manifesto’ called the Great Replacement by Brenton Tarrant, who murdered 51 people in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019; a manifesto written by mass murderer Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in attacks in Norway in 2011; and computer equipment containing thousands of images glorifying far-Right terrorism attacks and Nazi ideology.
They also found that Imrie possessed images of child abuse and extreme pornography.
Imrie was caught after the Metropolitan Police tipped off Police Scotland.
Officers in London had been scrutinising a group called FashWave Artists on instant messaging app Telegram.
The first terrorism charge stated that Imrie, of Glenrothes, had made statements on instant messaging service Telegram and social media site Facebook which encouraged acts of terrorism. He posted a series of messages to the group in which he said he was planning to ‘burn down’ a mosque.
Detectives also found CCTV footage showing Imrie trying the door of the mosque before driving away.
Imrie said his comments were a joke and he was not serious about setting a mosque on fire.
The court heard that a video he had posted on Telegram claiming it showed Fife Islamic Centre in flames was actually Strathore Lodge, a disused building in Thornton, Fife, where he had set a fire.
The second terror charge he was convicted of stated that Imrie had made a ‘record of information’ which would be useful to somebody who was committing acts of terrorism. He was, however, acquitted of a charge which stated that he engaged in conduct in ‘preparation’ of terrorism acts.
Jim Keegan, QC, defending, told Lord Mulholland that he would reserve his mitigation until sentencing.
Earlier during the trial, Mr Keegan said: ‘He (Imrie), on his own admission, hated Muslims in 2019. Didn’t know any, but he hated them.’
Lord Mulholland placed Imrie on the sex offenders register because of the pornography convictions.
The judge deferred sentencing to allow for the preparation for background reports.
Imrie’s mother Joyce, 50, and other family members refused to comment after leaving court yesterday.
‘Very serious offences’