This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/global/2018/may/11/yorkshire-teenager-accused-of-school-murder-plot
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Yorkshire teenager accused of school murder plot | Yorkshire teenager accused of school murder plot |
| (2 months later) | |
| A 14-year-old boy who allegedly thought up a plan to kill students and teachers at his school kept a diary in which he said he would “play god”, a court has heard. | A 14-year-old boy who allegedly thought up a plan to kill students and teachers at his school kept a diary in which he said he would “play god”, a court has heard. |
| The book, which was seized during a police search at the teenager’s home in October 2017, also describes the human race as a “vile species which needs to die out”. | The book, which was seized during a police search at the teenager’s home in October 2017, also describes the human race as a “vile species which needs to die out”. |
| One passage reads: “Everyone is filthy and deserve to be shot, including me. I’ll play the role of god and decide who a let live and die (sic).” | One passage reads: “Everyone is filthy and deserve to be shot, including me. I’ll play the role of god and decide who a let live and die (sic).” |
| “The Human condition is a curse and burden,” it adds. | “The Human condition is a curse and burden,” it adds. |
| The boy, who is accused along with a friend of plotting to kill innocent people at their school in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, said he owned and solely wrote the book. He made the comments during a police interview, which was conducted on the same day the book was found. | The boy, who is accused along with a friend of plotting to kill innocent people at their school in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, said he owned and solely wrote the book. He made the comments during a police interview, which was conducted on the same day the book was found. |
| On Friday, jurors at Leeds crown court heard extracts from the interview, in which the boy claimed the diary “was not intended for anyone else to see”. | On Friday, jurors at Leeds crown court heard extracts from the interview, in which the boy claimed the diary “was not intended for anyone else to see”. |
| “You have to understand that it was all hypothetical, just thoughts and feelings,” he said. He admitted that he had written about how he would “obliterate” his school, and had assembled a list of “stuff we need”, including napalm, firearms and pipe bombs. | “You have to understand that it was all hypothetical, just thoughts and feelings,” he said. He admitted that he had written about how he would “obliterate” his school, and had assembled a list of “stuff we need”, including napalm, firearms and pipe bombs. |
| However, he claimed he wrote such things to get them out of his head, and that parts of the diary reflected his fascination with the “morbid psychology” of prolific killers. | However, he claimed he wrote such things to get them out of his head, and that parts of the diary reflected his fascination with the “morbid psychology” of prolific killers. |
| He told a police officer: “It was an admiration of these killer-type people – you know, when people die and you find their diaries. I was not going to do any of it. It was all an admiration type of thing.” | He told a police officer: “It was an admiration of these killer-type people – you know, when people die and you find their diaries. I was not going to do any of it. It was all an admiration type of thing.” |
| Discussing the detailed nature of some of the diary entries, he said: “It was just getting stuff out of my head, and they are basically a sort of therapy.” | Discussing the detailed nature of some of the diary entries, he said: “It was just getting stuff out of my head, and they are basically a sort of therapy.” |
| Jurors were also read a passage where he claimed to “love and hate” the ideology of Adolf Hitler and supported the “weaning out of the weak”. | Jurors were also read a passage where he claimed to “love and hate” the ideology of Adolf Hitler and supported the “weaning out of the weak”. |
| However, the boy said he wrote certain bits to annoy people and fit in with the supposed “dark, morbid humour” of his classmates. | However, the boy said he wrote certain bits to annoy people and fit in with the supposed “dark, morbid humour” of his classmates. |
| During his police interview, the second defendant, who was also aged 14 at the time, said he believed his co-defendant was joking when he discussed the alleged plan, and felt scared and isolated as it started to get more serious. | During his police interview, the second defendant, who was also aged 14 at the time, said he believed his co-defendant was joking when he discussed the alleged plan, and felt scared and isolated as it started to get more serious. |
| “(The other defendant) ripped out the map page of his planner and said we should put bombs in these rooms and blow up the school,” the boy said. “He said I would just stand at the gates and mow people down. I was scared at this point, because I could not go through with anything like this.” | “(The other defendant) ripped out the map page of his planner and said we should put bombs in these rooms and blow up the school,” the boy said. “He said I would just stand at the gates and mow people down. I was scared at this point, because I could not go through with anything like this.” |
| The boys jointly deny conspiracy to murder, encouraging or assisting an offence, and assisting or encouraging an offence believing it would be committed. | The boys jointly deny conspiracy to murder, encouraging or assisting an offence, and assisting or encouraging an offence believing it would be committed. |
| The first defendant has also pleaded not guilty to unlawful wounding and aggravated burglary. | The first defendant has also pleaded not guilty to unlawful wounding and aggravated burglary. |
| UK news | UK news |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |