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Teenage terror suspect lauded Jo Cox's killer as a hero, court hears Teenage terror suspect lauded Jo Cox's killer as a hero, court hears
(about 1 hour later)
A teenager with extreme rightwing views accused of making a pipe bomb in preparation for committing a terrorist act celebrated the murder of MP Jo Cox on the day she died, calling her a race traitor and branding her murderer a hero, a court has heard. A teenage neo-Nazi accused of making a pipebomb in preparation for a terrorist act celebrated the murder of Jo Cox on the day she died, calling her a race traitor and branding her murderer a hero, a court heard.
The 17-year-old from Bradford, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was described as a white supremacist who harboured dangerous racist ideologies and wanted to start urban guerrilla warfare.The 17-year-old from Bradford, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was described as a white supremacist who harboured dangerous racist ideologies and wanted to start urban guerrilla warfare.
The defendant, who sat in the dock at Leeds crown court with a security guard, wore a smart black suit and tie. He denies a charge of preparing a terrorist act and an alternative count of making a pipe bomb. The teenager, who idolised the IRA and Adolf Hitler allegedly made the explosive using sparklers before boasting about it to his followers on Snapchat. The Snapchat messages, which included a cartoon-like image of a mosque being blown up, were shared with police. The bomb was found in his bedroom desk, the court heard.
The defendant, who sat in the dock at Leeds crown court flanked by a security guard, denied a charge of preparing a terrorist act and an alternative count of making a pipe bomb.
The prosecutor, Barnaby Jameson, told the court that on 16 June last year, when Thomas Mair murdered Cox as she emerged from a constituency meeting in Birstall, West Yorkshire, the defendant described Mair as a hero who had “butchered a race traitor”.The prosecutor, Barnaby Jameson, told the court that on 16 June last year, when Thomas Mair murdered Cox as she emerged from a constituency meeting in Birstall, West Yorkshire, the defendant described Mair as a hero who had “butchered a race traitor”.
Jameson said: “The night of the killing [the defendant] posted on Facebook a picture of Thomas Mair along with this post: ‘Tommy Mair is a HERO. There’s one less race traitor in Britain thanks to this man.’”Jameson said: “The night of the killing [the defendant] posted on Facebook a picture of Thomas Mair along with this post: ‘Tommy Mair is a HERO. There’s one less race traitor in Britain thanks to this man.’”
In another post later the same night, he described Mair as an “absolute fucking legend”. In another post later the same night, he described Mair an “absolute fucking legend”.
Jameson said: “The text of the post is significant, say the crown, as not only was [the defendant] celebrating the death of Jo Cox, he was rallying others to, in his words, ‘butcher the race traitors’.”Jameson said: “The text of the post is significant, say the crown, as not only was [the defendant] celebrating the death of Jo Cox, he was rallying others to, in his words, ‘butcher the race traitors’.”
Jameson said that a week later the defendant posted a link to an article on the Daily Stormer website entitled Brexit: Jo Cox’ Death was Not a Tragedy and the World is a Better Place Without Her. Jameson said that a week later the defendant posted a link to an article on the Daily Stormer website entitled Brexit: Jo Cox’s Death was Not a Tragedy and the World is a Better Place Without Her.
He said: “[The defendant’s] political views were so extreme that he celebrated the murder of a democratically elected MP, presumably because she had voted to remain in the EU. In [the defendant’s] view this was race treachery.”He said: “[The defendant’s] political views were so extreme that he celebrated the murder of a democratically elected MP, presumably because she had voted to remain in the EU. In [the defendant’s] view this was race treachery.”
The judge, Mr Justice Goss, reminded the court that Cox’s murder happened before the EU referendum. The judge, Justice Goss, reminded the court that Cox’s murder happened before the EU referendum.
Jameson earlier told the jury that the defendant’s teachers considered him bright and articulate and said he would always dress smartly, sometimes in a business suit. He did not socialise with other students, however, and would often sit alone in class. Jameson earlier told the jury that the defendant’s teachers considered him “bright and articulate” and said he would always dress smartly, sometimes in a business suit. He did not socialise with other students, however, and would often sit alone in class. But in the months leading up to his arrest his attendance at college dropped off dramatically and despite letters to his parents he did not return.
In January last year, his attendance dropped off dramatically and despite the college sending letters to his parents he did not return.
Jameson said: “We now know that something different was occupying his mind, and his time.”Jameson said: “We now know that something different was occupying his mind, and his time.”
In April, he was contacted by National Action, a small and secretive neo-Nazi youth organisation.In April, he was contacted by National Action, a small and secretive neo-Nazi youth organisation.
Jameson said: “Little is known about its internal structure or the size of its membership. It is known to be a white supremacist group – anti-Muslim, anti-black, antisemitic and anti-gay. At public meetings members make the Nazi salute and keep their faces covered.”Jameson said: “Little is known about its internal structure or the size of its membership. It is known to be a white supremacist group – anti-Muslim, anti-black, antisemitic and anti-gay. At public meetings members make the Nazi salute and keep their faces covered.”
He said the defendant went on to join National Action, and webcam footage of his bedroom covered in flags bearing Nazi swastikas was shown in court.He said the defendant went on to join National Action, and webcam footage of his bedroom covered in flags bearing Nazi swastikas was shown in court.
Jameson said his racist ideology continued to grow during his membership of National Action and he took part in demonstrations. Jameson said his racist ideology continued to grow during his membership of National Action and he took part in demonstrations. Jameson took the jury through a number of social media posts and messages associated with the defendant, including footage he said showed him at a National Action demonstration in York.
Jameson took the jury through a number of social media posts and messages associated with the defendant, including footage he said showed him at a National Action demonstration in York. He said messages from members of a National Action chatgroup found on the defendant’s phone included phrases like “should we just blow up Leeds or some shit?”.
He said messages from members of a National Action chatgroup found on the defendant’s phone included phrases like “should we just blow up Leeds or some shit?” He told the jury: “As we will hear in due course, [the defendant] did something with a pipebomb that was less to do with ‘fucking around with them’ and more to do with an ideological war he was waging.”
He told the jury: “As we will hear in due course, [the defendant] did something with a pipe bomb that was less to do with ‘fucking around with them’ and more to do with an ideological war he was waging.”
On another messaging service, Jameson said the defendant had written: “Focusing on making homemade weapons [guns] and explosives, as well as amassing a collection of knives. We don’t have any right to bears arms, so the resistance has to learn to construct its own weapons.”On another messaging service, Jameson said the defendant had written: “Focusing on making homemade weapons [guns] and explosives, as well as amassing a collection of knives. We don’t have any right to bears arms, so the resistance has to learn to construct its own weapons.”
He began attending rallies and participating in sticker campaigns to spread their message, the prosecutor said.
In early June, he wrote to a friend on Facebook Messenger: “The IRA is where we get most of our techniques from. We follow them religiously, the way they operated in an urban environment. The way they blended into the population. Urban guerrilla warfare is what we need to learn.”
He also posted online: “I wish the Nazis had won the war. I wish I could have lived back them and fought alongside the British free Korps, and had the privilege of praising the Fuhrer. Hail hitler!”
In late July last year the defendant shared extreme messages on Snapchat. West Yorkshire Police were contacted by someone who had viewed the Snapchat images and wished to remain anonymous.
The defendant was arrested on 26 July after a pipebomb was found in his desk. His bedroom was covered with flags, including the swastika and the flag of the Waffen SS.
Jameson said: “On the bed was his laptop. When switched on it gave as wallpaper a Nazi eagle over a swastika and the surrounding words which translate as ‘one nation, one empire, one leader’ – a reference to Hitler.
“In the third drawer of his desk, officers found a pipebomb with a fuse protruding. It was the same pipebomb as in the Snapchat image.”
A bomb disposal expert from Catterick barracks, Sgt Auld, was called in and the device was made safe.
In police interviews the defendant denied preparing an act of terrorism, claiming that he had merely been “fooling around with fireworks”.
The trial continues.The trial continues.