Schoolboy, 15, is cleared of preparing terror acts after claiming ‘bombs made in his bedroom’ and YouTube videos of him vowing to ‘carry out Jihad’ were inspired by comedy film Four Lions
- Boy from Eastleigh, Hampshire, was the youngest person to be tried for offence
- A jury in Leicester dismissed claims he had been ‘mesmerised by martyrdom’
- Prosecutors had alleged the boy tried to manufacture bombs in lockdown
A 15-year-old schoolboy has been cleared of preparing terrorist acts after being accused of trying to make bombs from his bedroom.
The teenager, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, was the youngest person to be tried for plotting terrorism and sobbed with relief as a jury dismissed claims he had been ‘mesmerised by martyrdom’.
Prosecutors had alleged the boy, then 14, had tried to manufacture rudimentary bombs during lockdown after falling under the influence of ISIS.
In home-made videos he said he would ‘carry out Jihad’, but jurors believed his defence that he held the views of extremist networks as ‘nasty stuff’ and ‘evil’.
A 15-year-old schoolboy has been cleared of preparing terrorist acts after being accused of trying to make bombs from his bedroom. Pictured: A handout photo issued by police showing a shoebox of items previously shown to the court, left, and two plastic bottles with tin foil balls and screws in them, right
The jury at Leicester Crown Court rejected the allegations on Friday after deliberating for nine hours and 10 minutes following a two-week trial
The teenager said he had used phrases meaning ‘non-believers’ after hearing the words in the film Four Lions.
In his evidence, the boy also denied having any plans to kill himself or anybody else.
While he was in the witness box, his defence barrister, Mary Prior QC, had asked: ‘How do you feel about it now?’
The boy replied: ‘Upset… because it is nasty stuff. I don’t like watching it because it is evil. I don’t mean what I said.’
Referring to words said in a home-made videos about martyrdom, Ms Prior asked him: ‘Did you plan to kill yourself?’
He replied: ‘No’.
Ms Prior continued: ‘Did you plan to kill somebody else?’
He replied firmly: ‘No, I did not.’
The defendant told the jury he had used phrases meaning ‘non-believers’ in his videos because he had heard the words in the 2010 comedy film Four Lions (pictured)
A handout photo issued by police showing the image of a five-litre pressure sprayer which was previously shown to the court
During the two-week trial the teenager was also sked how he had found out how to make bottle bombs, to which he replied: ‘A YouTube video.’
Questioning the defendant further, his barrister, Mary Prior QC, said: ‘How many videos did you look at?’, to which the teenager replied: ‘I can’t remember but it was a few.’
Ms Prior continued: ‘Did you understand that they make an explosion?’, to which the boy replied ‘yes’.
The court was shown a video the defendant had recorded of one of the bottle bombs exploding in his wardrobe.
The jury at Leicester Crown Court rejected the allegations on Friday after deliberating for nine hours and 10 minutes following a two-week trial.
Counter Terrorism Policing South East believed the teenager, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, was the youngest person to be charged with preparing terrorist acts on UK soil.