Teenager on terror charge searched internet for firearms material, court told

A 17-YEAR-OLD facing a terror charge searched the internet for information on firearms and ammunition after adopting the “twisted ideology” of Nazis and white supremacists, a court has heard.

The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is facing a retrial at Birmingham Crown Court after his original hearing was ended by March’s Covid-19 lockdown.

Jurors were told on Monday that the youth has pleaded not guilty to preparation of terrorist acts between April and September 2019.

Opening the case against the teenager, who is from Rugby in

Warwickshire, prosecutor Matthew Brook said the boy had praised the terrorist who carried out a mass shooting last year in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Mr Brook told the jury panel: “In this case, the evidence will prove that the defendant became radicalised so he fully believed in extreme right-wing ideology. That is the twisted ideology of Nazis and white supremacy.

“He came to believe an ideology which thinks a race war is coming – an ideology which believes its followers should bring about a race war, should accelerate its start, so that the white race can become supreme. He came to believe in an ideology which praises terrorists who carry out mass shootings, like the Christchurch shootings in New Zealand, and called the perpetrators of such terrorist massacres ‘saints’.”

Alleging that the boy had researched how to convert a blankfiring gun into a live weapon, and had offered advice to members of extreme-right chat groups, Mr

Brook added: “The evidence will show that he searched the internet for information on firearms.

“Having found that information, he did not keep it to himself but shared information.

“The evidence will show that he searched for information about where to buy a blank-firing gun – which he discussed converting to a real live-firing gun with others.”

Jurors were shown censored footage of the Christchurch terror attack in which 51 people were shot dead, after being told the defendant had a recording of the killings on his phone, containing “graphic detail”.

Mr Brook told the court: “When (Christchurch attacker) Brenton Tarrant carried out his terrorist attack, he had a camera with him which was recording what was happening and streaming it on to the internet.

“A copy of that recording was found on the defendant’s telephone.”

During the first day of the retrial, the court was read extracts from internet exchanges between the boy and others in extreme right-wing chat groups.

In one series of messages, the defendant said he was an administrator for a group named League of Nationalists, which was “probably” not going anywhere, but added: “Whatever happens I’m going to have a local unit. I’m working on the propaganda and the weapons. I need men.”

Jurors were told the retrial may last up to six weeks.