A teenage neo-Nazi terrorist who identified possible targets in his home city has today been locked up for six years and eight months.
The 17-year-old boy drafted his own manifesto which listed ‘Areas to Attack’ in Durham such as schools, pubs and council buildings.
He also wrote of planning to conduct an arson spree with Molotov cocktails on local synagogues.
Various handwritten documents were seized from his bedroom in March by police who also found a collection of far-right literature, Manchester Crown Court heard.
The boy was 16 years old when he drafted his own manifesto which listed ‘Areas to Attack’ in Durham such as schools, pubs and council buildings
A sketch drawn by the schoolboy, saying: ‘When they are dead they can’t judge you, ha ha ha’
Analysis of his computer devices and mobile phone uncovered numerous internet searches on firearms, explosives and knives.
In November, jurors found him guilty of preparation of terrorist acts between October 2017 and March last year.
The youth was also unanimously found guilty of disseminating a terrorist publication, possessing an article for a purpose connected with terrorism and three counts of possessing a document or record containing information likely to be useful to a terrorist.
According to CPS guidelines, the boy faced life imprisonment for the preparation of terrorism acts.
He faced a maximum sentence of seven years for disseminating a terrorist publication and a further ten years for possessing information likely to be of use to terrorists.
The defendant said he had no intention of carrying out any attacks and claimed he adopted a fake right-wing persona for ‘shock value’.
In the month before his arrest in March, he repeatedly searched for and visited websites related to ‘lone wolf’ attacks by the likes of Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh, the Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Breivik and Columbine High School shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.
He had also purchased the manifestos of Breivik and another terrorist, Ted Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber.
In journal entries the youth wrote of his admiration for Adolf Hitler – ‘a brave man to say the least’, Moors murderer Ian Brady – ‘how wonderful it is to be an amoral individual’ and murderous cult leader Charles Manson.
The cover and an excerpt taken from the 16 year old’s ‘manifesto’ shown to the jury at court
In August 2018 he wrote a things-to-do list, which included the instruction ‘shed empathy’ and referenced a shooting at a video gaming tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, where two people were killed.
Alongside the list was a quote from Manson: ‘When I stand on the mountain and say do it, it gets done. If it don’t get done then I’ll move on it and that’s the last thing in the world you want me to do.’
The youth also wrote of his dislike of school, spoke disparagingly of Durham having a Jewish MP and described the North East as a ‘s***hole’, stating ‘the people are loathable, the sights forgettable and the police laughable’.
It is understood that the boy had initially been referred to Prevent, the government’s anti-extremism mechanism, but failed to engage fully.
Jenny Hopkins, head of Special Crime and Counter Terrorism at the CPS, said: ‘This teenager chose to engage in terrorist activity after reading neo-Nazi propaganda and has now been handed a prison sentence.
‘He was mentally prepared and had researched different methods including how to make ammonium nitrate and a Molotov cocktail.
‘The threat from far-right terrorism is very real and the CPS is working with the police to ensure the public is kept safe.’
Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Snowden is head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East said: ‘This has been a protracted and challenging investigation not least due to the age of the subject.
A handwritten note by the boy which contains a to do list including an instruction to ‘shed empathy’ and a quote from Charles Manson
A list of firearms to buy belonging to the 16-year-old who wrote about an ‘inevitable race war’
‘The decision to investigate, arrest and prosecute a young person is never an easy one; however we will always take necessary and proportionate action to keep our communities safe.
‘Cases such as this highlight the dangers our young people face today online.
‘The negative influence and powerful manipulation that takes place by those who seek to radicalise them cannot be underestimated.
‘Prevention is always better than cure, and we would always seek to reach out and engage with people before they are drawn down the path to criminal activity.’
DCI Martin Snowden said everyone in society has a role to play in preventing people from becoming radicalised.
Det Ch Supt Snowden said it had been a protracted and challenging investigation not least due to the defendant’s age.
In the lead up to the arrest, officers monitored the boy’s online activity and identified an increase in concerning online activity that included neo-Nazi white supremacy ideology.
In the month before his arrest, he repeatedly searched for and visited websites related to ‘lone wolf’ attacks by the likes of Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh, the Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Breivik and
The teenager researched information online about far right terrorists such as Timothy McVeigh, who bombed the Alfred Murrah Building in Oklahoma City in April 1995 killing 168 people
Columbine High School shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.
Det Ch Supt Snowden said protecting young people is not something that can be done by the police alone.
He added: ‘We all have a part to play in keeping vulnerable teenagers safe from a potentially dangerous path to radicalisation.
‘We want to empower all communities to speak out and counter poisonous, hateful narrative to help keep our children and those who are vulnerable safe.’
Det Ch Supt Snowden said it is vital to know and understand the content young people are reading and engaging with the help protect them from hate and toxic rhetoric and ideologies.
He added: ‘Recognising changes in attitude and behaviour which could indicate they have been drawn to the principles and ideologies held by others and seeking support and advice from professionals could save a young person from a potentially destructive path.
‘If concerns about someone’s behaviour are raised early, we can, along with our strategic partners look to offer bespoke, appropriate support to help safeguard that individual.
‘Anyone worried about someone they know can make a referral in the confidence that it will be assessed and where deemed appropriate, support offered.’
Det Ch Supt Snowden said society cannot escape the use of technology in modern times, but it must be aware of the dangers that can surround children and young people.
He added: ‘Prevent is the most important strategy we have to safeguard young people from radicalisation and it is always better reaching people before they’re drawn into criminal activity.
‘Unfortunately, there are those who elect not to engage and refuse the support that is offered. In these cases, or where their behaviour has already gone too far, intervention may no longer be an option and we will take robust action.’
He also looked for information on far right terrorist Anders Behring Breivik, pictured, who murdered 77 people in 2011