Teenager planned mass murder by setting fire to mosque

A teenager who planned a mass murder by setting fire to a mosque has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges.

The 17-year-old was arrested in January after police caught him with an airgun and aerosol cans outside Inverclyde Muslim Centre in Greenock.

The High Court in Glasgow heard that the boy, who is autistic, believed white people were in a race war and had "developed sympathies" with the Nazi party.

The boy, who cannot be named, had told the mosque's Imam that he wanted to become a Muslim in order to gain access to the building and plan his attack.

The court heard that he had initially wanted to plant bombs at his school in December last year, before deciding to target the mosque.

Police intelligence led to officers arresting the boy, who was 16 at the time, outside Inverclyde Muslim Centre.

He was carrying a rucksack with an airgun that he planned to use to keep worshippers inside the building after he set it on fire.

The court heard how the boy had been radicalised through social media since the age of 13.

A list of "inspirations" found on his phone included Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Norwegian neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Brevik.

Prosecutor Greg Farrell said the boy wanted to gain access to the mosque and use aerosol cans and lighters to set it on fire.

He had spoken online to the centre's Imam and was provided with Islamic reading materials.

Mr Farrell said: "The boy went as far as to take part in prayer with the congregation of the Islamic centre.

"He was trusted to be left alone in the centre and he took several videos wandering the corridors of the building."

The court also heard how the boy contacted an acquaintance via the Telegram messaging app.

He wrote: "It's good to infiltrate the target, be it a mosque or synagogue, as they think I'm one of them because I infiltrated the place."

The boy also asked the acquaintance to live stream the burning of the mosque.

This would be shared alongside a "final" manifesto in which he stated he had planned the attack for when "the mosque will be at its fullest."

The court was also told that the teenager had tried, but failed, to obtain a rifle licence from a local shooting club.

On the morning of 23 January, the boy left his home dressed in black with a camouflage rucksack, which concerned his mother.

He messaged friends: "Today, I choose what my life was and will be."

But he was unable to enter Inverclyde Muslim Centre as the door was locked.

Police officers, acting on intelligence reports, were waiting for him at the mosque.

When asked what was in the bag, the boy said: "Guns, I'll tell you what's in the bag so you don't get hurt. I don't want to hurt you."

A German-manufactured air pistol and amunition was recovered. Police also found ball bearings, gas cartridges and aerosol cans.

A search of his home revealed Hitler's book Mein Kampf, a copy of the Quran, airsoft weapons, knives and instructions and ingredients to make explosives.

Tony Lenehan KC, defending, said: "He was a 16-year-old isolated vulnerable young man, who had a wholesale world view of what was on the internet rather than personal experience."

The teenager pleaded guilty to a charge under the Terrorism Act and possession of documents likely to be useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism.

Judge Lord Arthurson deferred sentencing until next month. The boy was remanded in custody.