‘I’m a terrorist and want to kill people’

‘Childlike’ student’s death and bomb threats

‘If everybody reacted by threatening to bomb or kill people who they didn’t like, there would be chaos’

A Canterbury student announced he was a terrorist at a hospital and threatened council staff by warning he would “go on a killing spree”.

Jonathan Newman, 23, of Station Road East, also said he wished to slit the throats of government officials and police while being treated at Ashford’s William Harvey.

He began making threats to authorities in July last year when he told staff at Devon County Council he would “go on a killing spree” and “you are all going to get stabbed”.

“I would just like you to know I’m planning a revenge attack, a terrorist attack, and want to kill as many people as possible,” he added in a message to the authority’s customer service inbox.

The malicious communications included bomb threats. But when handing him a fourmonth jail sentence, the judge at Canterbury Crown Court ruled his threats were empty.

After moving to the city to study computing at Canterbury Christ Church University, Newman was arrested following the disturbance at the William Harvey in March this year.

The court heard his bizarre behaviour stemmed from dissatisfaction with travel arrangements.

Prosecutor Stacey Lee Holland said he told nurses: “I’m a terrorist and I want to kill people.”

Officers discovered Newman was carrying a small lock-knife, which he claimed he needed for self-defence, before announcing he wished to slit the throats of government officials and police.

After being taken into custody, Newman threw his Covid mask at one officer and spat at two others.

When Newman wasn’t attacking officers he engraved the word “die” on his cell wall, stuffed his pillow into the toilet and smashed the fire alarm.

Psychiatrists ruled Newman’s threats were empty, likely stemming from his childlike view of the world and being on the autism spectrum.

Judge Rupert Lowe told the court he must decide whether Newman’s terror threats were real or fictitious.

“I have read a careful psychiatric report and a pre-sentence report and on the whole I’m satisfied that you fall into the latter category.

“I don’t believe you are an immediate threat to the public despite your threats.”

But he rapped Newman for his “childlike” behaviour.

“If everybody reacted by threatening to bomb or kill people who they didn’t like, there would be chaos everywhere,” he said. “When people receive emails like that they think ‘watch out, we’ve got a madman here’.

“They think that’s what you’re going to do, because you say so.”

The court heard Newman fostered a grudge against the authorities after being removed from mainstream schooling years ago.

Phil Rowley, mitigating, said Newman became frustrated and upset while struggling to articulate himself properly, and he picked up the term “terrorist” from mainstream media.

Newman pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damage, two counts of sending malicious communications, three counts of assaulting an emergency worker, threatening behaviour and carrying a bladed article.

He was released from custody after already spending four months on remand - the equivalent of an eight-month jail term.

He was also handed a two-year community order, including 25 rehabilitation days.