British Teenager Planned Columbine-Style Massacre At His Former School, Court Hears

British Teenager Planned Columbine-Style Massacre At His Former School, Court Hears
Garrett Bentley looks at a display of crosses for the 13 victims of the massacre at Columbine High School to mark the 10th anniversary of the killings near the Columbine Memorial in the southwest Denver suburb of Littleton, Colo., on Monday, April 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Garrett Bentley looks at a display of crosses for the 13 victims of the massacre at Columbine High School to mark the 10th anniversary of the killings near the Columbine Memorial in the southwest Denver suburb of Littleton, Colo., on Monday, April 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

A British teenager armed with guns and explosives planned a Columbine-style massacre at his former school.

The boy, who was 16 at the time, was found to have petrol bombs, air rifles, pistols and armour at his home.

It is alleged he planned to use them against staff and pupils at the school in Loughborough, Leicestershire.

The teenager, who has Asperger's syndrome, also named his college, a local mosque, a cinema, Loughborough University and the town's council offices as potential targets, an Old Bailey jury heard.

A Che Guevara notebook emblazoned with Nazi swastikas and English Defence League (EDL) mottos was found when his home was searched by police in February.

It included drawings showing how he would arm himself and discussed tactics to carry out The New Columbine, the court was told.

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999 before both committing suicide in one of America's worst mass shootings.

Mujahideen Poisons Handbook was also found in the defendant's home along with video and dictaphone recordings in which he discussed an attack, it was claimed.

Prosecutor Max Hill QC said the jury must consider whether the boy was a 'misfit' or 'something altogether more sinister and serious'.

Mr Hill said the boy, now 17, claimed to be a member of an EDL branch and had a Nazi swastika on his bedroom wall along with a poster of the Joker from the Batman film, the Dark Knight.

He wrote in a letter found at his home that there were 'too many Muslims in the UK and Europe' who wanted to 'take over Europe and put Sharia law in place'.

The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies a charge of possessing items for the purpose, preparation and instigation of an act of terrorism.

These include nine partially assembled petrol bombs, a quantity of part-assembled pipe bombs, partially constructed improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a stab proof vest, a gas mask and three 0.22 air rifles, it is alleged.

The boy also denies one count of possessing a document or record containing information likely to be useful for a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, and a further count of possessing explosives in the form of component parts of IEDs.

He and two other 17-year-olds have already pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing petrol bombs and component parts of pipe bombs for the use of explosive devices.

The trial continues.

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