Terrorism accused idolised incel
A man accused of terrorism offences felt like the founding father of the incel – involuntary celibate ideology – and idolised him by the summer of last year, a court heard today.
A prosecutor said Gabrielle Friel knew of Elliot Rodger and the acts of violence he carried out and had sourced weapons and was planning an attack.
Richard Goddard QC reminded jurors of Friel' s words to a social worker on 14 August last year: "I feel like I am Elliot Rodger who was a killer in a school."
Mr Goddard said Sarah Drummond had noted he was very fixated and almost idolising Rodger – a spree killer at a university in California.
The advocate depute said that two days later Fri el, 22, told psychiatrist Dr Alexander Quinn: "I do want to carry out a mass shooting."
He said: "We know when he spoke all those words he had already ordered and taken possession of a crossbow with telescopic sights."
Mr Goddard told the High Court in Edinburgh: "We know Gabrielle Friel had embraced incelideology, fixated on it."
The prosecutor said there was" a host of incriminating circumstances" which amounted to a convincing case against Friel and called on a jury to convict him of two offences under the Terrorism Act which he faces.
Mr Goddard said the social worker reported Friel as feeling a lot of anger and being unfairly treated in life.
She said he felt rejected and jealous of what others had and felt females were not interested in him. Mr Goddard said jurors might think all of these were incel related themes.
Friel had told her he felt like Rodger and was able to tell her about his Youtube video and manifesto.
The prosecutor said that DrQu inn said Frielw as very angry with the world and was displaying anger towards women. He felt girls and women had never been interested in him.
He said to the psychiatrist: "If I do plan an attack it will be real. I do want to cause a mass shooting."
Mr Goddard said Friel had already sourced a high-powered crossbow and a foot long machete and was looking for the means of carrying them into a public place.
Friel, of Comely Bank Road, Edinburgh is accused of possessing a crossbow, scope, 15 bolts, a machete and ball istic vest between 1 June and 16 August last year in circumstances giving rise to a reasonable suspicion that it was for a purpose connected with "the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism" in Edinburgh.
He is also accused of, with the intention of committing acts of terrorism, conducting online research to acquire a firearm, in relation of spree killing mass murder and expressing a desire to commit such a murder. He denies the charges.
Advocate BrianGilfedd er, defending, argued that Friel be acquitted as he was attempting to achieve suicide by provoking police to shoot him.
He argued that one of the three key factors for a terrorism conviction was that it was committed for the purpose of of advancing a political, racial, religious or ideological cause and said the prosecution "fell down" on that factor.
The trial continues.