‘Fascist’ teenager hoped to 3D print firearm, court told

A TEENAGE extremist who plotted to bring about a violent revolution “hated Jews and Muslims” and had a video of the Christchurch terrorist attack on his phone, the Old Bailey has heard.

Matthew Cronjager, 18, is on trial accused of preparing a terror attack and yesterday jurors were told he had hoped to build weapons using a 3D printer.

Alistair Richardson, prosecuting, said the defendant had hoped to violently topple the Government in a revolution inspired by his racist ideology.

He is alleged to have made plans for a storage bunker for guns, as well as trying to build his own firearm. Mr Richardson said the defendant provided instructions on how to make a gun to an undercover police officer between October and December last year.

He told the court: “As of 2019-2020 he held radical, extreme Right-wing beliefs. To use his own word, fascist beliefs. He wanted to bring about a change of government by violence.

“He hated people of different colour skin, he hated Jews, he hated Muslims, he hated people of different sexual orientation to his own.”

On his arrest at his Essex home on Dec 29 last year, police seized a large amount of material demonstrating his commitment to an “extreme Right-wing cause”, jurors heard.

Mr Cronjager allegedly downloaded a stash of extremist propaganda and manuals of “real and practical” assistance to terrorists, it was alleged.

In April 2019, he downloaded information about explosives, home-made silencers and firearms, jurors heard.

Four months later, he allegedly saved a video on his phone of the Christchurch terror atrocity in New Zealand in which 51 people died.

Mr Cronjager, of Ingatestone, denies engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts between Oct 31 and Dec 19.

He has pleaded not guilty to disseminating terrorist publications through “a library” on Telegram, the encrypted messaging app. The court heard that he has admitted four counts of having terrorist publications. The trial continues.