Father ‘amassed haul of explosives’

COURT: A hate-filled fatherof-one “stalked” police officers, a district judge and a female solicitor as he amassed a potentially lethal haul of explosive substances at his West Yorkshire home.

A crown court jury yesterday heard 30-year-old Ashkan Ebrahimi also had crossbows, swords and rifles.

A HATE-FILLED father-of-one “stalked” police officers, a district judge and a female solicitor as he amassed a potentially lethal haul of explosive substances and weapons at his West Yorkshire home.

A crown court jury yesterday heard how 30-year-old Ashkan Ebrahimi enrolled on a GCSE science course at Calderdale College a month before officers from the North East Counter Terrorism Unit searched his home in Oak Lane, Halifax.

Prosecutor Dafydd Enoch QC alleged that the property, where Ebrahimi lived alone following the breakdown of the relationship with the mother of his baby, was “the hub” of the defendant’s hate campaign.

Inside the house officers found substances used in bomb-making such as potassium nitrate and glycerine as well as ball bearings and sulphuric acid.

In a walk-in cupboard, they also found a collection of legally held weapons such as crossbows, swords and rifles.

Bradford Crown Court heard that listening devices and scanning equipment were also seized along with a bullet-proof vest, a police badge, police Velcro labels, handcuffs and an extendable police baton.

In 2014, police officers had been involved in a domestic incident between Ebrahimi and his then-partner which eventually led to the imposition of a non-molestation order by a judge and the seizure of a previous collection of legally held weapons belonging to the defendant.

Mr Enoch alleged that the events in 2014 had “sowed the seeds” for Ebrahimi’s deep-seated hatred of the police and others in authority.

He told the jury that Ebrahimi’s hatred had taken over his life and his reason for living was to seek revenge.

“His obsessive personality caused him to research and plan that revenge in great detail,” alleged Mr Enoch. “He found out information about his targets, photographed their homes, followed them and made notes about them.

“Things were to escalate in a most serious way when his research began to extend to the subject of making bombs.

“He bought different chemicals and other items which he was to store at his house and when looked at overall what he had gathered was the paraphernalia to make explosives and indeed to make homemade bombs.

“He was caught with all this material red-handed in his home.”

Ebrahimi, who is representing himself during the trial, faces a series of charges including three allegations of stalking and possession of explosive substances with intent with intent to endanger life.

Mr Enoch alleged that one purpose for the ball bearings could have been to make a “shrapnel” bomb and some of the chemicals could have been used in “homemade incendiary devices”.

Ebrahimi was arrested on the college campus in October 2015 and was found to be in possession of a lock knife.

Further police inquiries into his activities found that he had done internet research into nearly 40 individuals, mainly serving police officers, and he also had Facebook profiles relating to “a number of his targets” and their families. Ebrahimi is also alleged to have travelled in his car to the addresses of some of his targets.

After his arrest Ebrahimi maintained he had no intention of doing anything illegal with the chemicals. But Mr Enoch submitted that the material was not obtained to do “innocent home experiments”.

The trial continues.

He was caught with all this material red-handed in his home. Prosecutor Dafydd Enoch QC on items allegedly intended to make bombs.