Hitler-inspired teenager who planned 'heinous' terror attack on Scottish mosque jailed for 10 years

The teenager, who was radicalised online, was arrested in January as he tried to enter the Inverclyde Muslim Centre in Greenock with an air pistol, gas cartridges and aerosol cans.

He was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday after pleading guilty to two charges of terrorism.

The judge also ordered the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, should serve an eight-year supervision period upon release.

The court heard how, prior to the planned attack, the teenager befriended the Imam and mapped out the building’s interior on his phone.

He joined the centre’s WhatsApp group, saying he was “looking for guidance”, and secured the trust of the Imam during several visits.

In a sentencing statement, Lord Arthurson said: “What you had in mind was what can properly be characterised as a quite diabolical atrocity involving extreme violence and multiple deaths. You even requested that your attack be livestreamed.

“Your conduct was only stopped by your arrest, when you were quite literally at the very door of the centre.”

The teenager shared his plans on social media platform Telegram. The court heard how he filmed himself wandering the corridors of the building.

Footage from one video showed him superimposing a hand carrying a semi-automatic pistol. When the image moved over a religious poster, the accused used an effect that made it appear to be set on fire.

In January, he contacted a local rifle club to try and obtain a firearm.

After his arrest outside the centre on January 23, a search of his home revealed Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf, as well as a copy of the Quran, airsoft weapons, knives, masks and instructions and ingredients to make explosives.

Police also found he kept a list on his phone of individuals who had inspired him, which included Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik.

Sineidin Corrins, deputy procurator fiscal for specialist casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, described the offences as “deeply disturbing”.

“Viewing, sharing and posting such extreme and illegal material online can encourage and incite others into extremist activity, spreads hatred and poses a serious risk of harm to the public,” she said.

“This heinous plan to attack those within his own local community was prepared and driven by racial and religiously motivated hatred and showed that he not only held Neo-Nazi beliefs, but was about to act on them to cause pain and suffering. Fortunately, he was apprehended and this was prevented.

Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston, from Police Scotland, said: “I want to pay tribute to the local officers who took swift action to protect the public and apprehended the youth, as the potential consequences of his actions could have been extremely serious and had a profound effect on the local community.

“This was a fast moving and complicated inquiry and officers carried out a diligent and thorough investigation to gather the evidence and brought him to court, which will now see him face the consequences of his intentions.”