A teenage boy from Northumberland who allegedly amassed weapons and researched local synagogues has gone on trial, accused of preparing to commit acts of terrorism in pursuit of a 'white supremacist utopia'.
Arsenal Uncovered in Police Raid
Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC told Leeds Crown Court that police raided the boy's home in February last year. They discovered what she described as "an arsenal worthy of any young rightwing terrorist." This collection included explosives, switches, white supremacist flags, knives, crossbows, and nails intended for a nail bomb.
The jury heard that notepads expressing racist beliefs were also seized. Ms Heeley stated the defendant, now 16, held Nazi beliefs and hated Jewish and black people. She argued this was more than just words, pointing to his "active research" and the accumulation of materials to create explosives.
Links to Banned Neo-Nazi Group
The court was told the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was just 13 when he made contact with the proscribed neo-Nazi paramilitary group known as The Base. Prosecutors allege he became a member of this organisation, which the UK government has banned.
"They encourage murder and acts of terrorism and want to bring about the collapse of society through a race war," Ms Heeley said. The group's ultimate goal, she explained, is to establish a white supremacist utopia from the resulting destruction. The boy expressed a desire to be "part of an active group, active in real life" and said he was "willing to travel when needed."
Researching Targets and Building Bombs
Evidence from his phone and computers revealed a pattern of extremist activity. Instead of watching festive films on Christmas Eve 2022, he watched videos of mass stabbings, school shootings, and terrorist acts. He then began researching local synagogues, which the prosecution alleges was target identification.
On New Year's Eve, his research turned to creating homemade ammunition and printable guns. The teenager also purchased chemicals online to make explosives and discussed potential attacks on infrastructure like an electricity substation or mobile phone mast near his home.
Ms Heeley described his "obsession" with extremism, which included collecting videos of terror attacks and ranking killers who had targeted minorities. "This was a young man actively preparing for a terrorist act and had the police not got there in time who knows what he may have done," the prosecutor concluded.
The boy denies all charges against him, which include preparing terrorist acts, membership of a proscribed organisation, possession of terror documents, and sharing terror publications. The trial continues at Leeds Crown Court.
